RESIDENT EVIL: BROKEN
by DarkAngelus1
Summary: This is another Leon fic. Set two years after the Las Plagas incident, Leon has become the leader of a small, covert government team. Leon&Ada. Rated 'T' for language and eventual violence. Chap.7 is up. I suck at summaries, so please review.
1. Chapter 1

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Leon (sigh) or any of the other characters in the work below. **

**Synopsis: This is another Leon fic. I've added characters from Survivor and Dead Aim, because they're rarely used, and Bruce interests me (even if his nemesis was an anime-villain reject). S.T.A.R.S. will make an appearance, because it's not Resident Evil without them. Any characters from any other games are there because I liked the characters, but this is NOT a crossover. **

**RESIDENT EVIL: BROKEN**

**Chapter One**

**Raccoon City, Sept. 29, 2006**

**The two figures stood motionless, the suns at their backs casting long shadows on the pavement before them. Behind them lay the Arkham Mountains, and remnants of the Arklay and Spenser Mansions. Ahead lay was an eight foot steel-mesh fence, marked by the an all-too-familiar biohazard sign. Beyond that, the wasteland that had once been home to Leon S. Kennedy stretched out in all its devastated glory. The broken structures, the hollowed-out cars, the blast-blackenedd debris, all a twisted testament to the government's final solution; the cleansing of Raccoon City and it's virus-infected citizens.**

**Leon shifted and lifted a set of binoculars to his eyes, gazing at the remains of his hometown. He knew that if he zoomed in close enough, he'd be able to see Claire's motorcycle, its flattened rear wheel sticking out of the window of the building she'd parked beside that fateful night. Somewhere on the other side of town lay the remains of his jeep, still lying on its side, windows broken, frame twisted. He hadn't been allowed in that section of town afterwards, but he'd seen the pictures the government had taken after the bombing. That had been enough. **

**Even as he wondered why he did this to himself, he hit the button and zoomed in on the police station. Even from here, on the outskirts of the city, he could see the R.P.D. sign, suspended by one rusted chain, swaying gently in the wind. The façade of the building was mostly intact, though the explosions that had rocked Raccoon had destroyed the rest of the building. **

**More than once, Leon had considered sneaking past the fence and retrieving the sign. God knew, he had the training to get in undetected. He was the only survivor of the Raccoon Police Department, and he hated to see the sign just hanging there, rusting in the Midwestern wind. The white letters were black with smoke damage, and he had no problem imagining them splattered with blood beneath it. Damn it, he wanted that sign!**

**But he knew better, Leon thought with a frustrated sigh. Every year, the President gave him permission to enter the restricted area, provided that he didn't breach the protective barrier fence. Were he to follow his inclinations and cross that barrier, President Graham would put a stop to his annual trek immediately. He didn't want that. As much as it hurt to be reminded of all he had lost, he _liked_ being able to come here and commune with those he'd left behind. **

**Leon tapped the button to full zoom and found the ruins of Raccoon University. After eight years, he no longer saw the bodies of those that had died in the bombing. He knew that Umbrella Inc. had sent in their mercenary cleaner crews--the human ones--to gather all remaining evidence of the G-virus outbreak. They'd had to work against the government's military to do it, so it had taken nearly a year for all of the bodies to be removed amidst the fighting that had followed.**

**Eight months after his miraculous escape from Raccoon, he had received permission to return with a government unit, and had seen the bodies for himself. The one he'd been searching for hadn't been among those retrieved, though her name had been added to the lists of the dead. He often wondered if, like him, she had managed to escape the nightmare their hometown had become. If so, she had managed to hide herself so well that even _he_, with all of his covert government contacts, hadn't been able to find her.**

**Elza Walker had been his high school sweetheart, and a student at RU. She hadn't lived on campus, but she _had_ been there. She'd broken up with him that day, which was the reason he'd arrived in Raccoon City so late that fateful night. She'd planned on going back to the RU library to study for her midterms that night, and as far as Leon knew, she had.**

**His gaze swept the city for a few more minutes before he forced himself to lower the binoculars. He attached them to his belt and continued to watch the still life that was his hometown. Life went on for those who had survived, no matter how much it hurt. There was no other alternative.**

**"I wish you hadn't come here," the man at his side said suddenly. "This particular horse has been dead for a long time."**

**"'This horse' was my hometown." Leon sighed heavily. "I know it bothers you to come back here, but--"**

**"I didn't say I don't understand it, Leon. I just don't know why you do this to yourself," Former Marine Force Recon Lieutenant Billy Coen clarified quietly. "Life's hard enough without," he made a sweeping gesture with one hand, "_this_."**

**"You didn't have to come with me," Leon reminded him. **

**"Sure, I did." Billy readjusted the ever-present duffel bag on his shoulder as he spoke, drawing attention to the black tribal tattoo running down the entire length of his right arm. "After all you've done for me, this is a small thing. How could I _not_ come with you?"**

**"Billy. . ." Leon shook his head, hating that the other man felt so indebted to him. "I did the right thing. That's all."**

**He felt a presence behind him and half turned towards it. Tom Hansen's bright blue eyes were somber as they met his. "Are you alright, Lee?"**

**Leon drew a deep breath and smiled crookedly. "Yeah, I'm fine, Tom."**

**The former Coast Guard sailor merely nodded his blond head and backed away. Leon turned back to Raccoon City, and once again said goodbye to all the family and friend's he had left behind. He forced himself to turn his back on his hometown and walked slowly to the front of the jeep, where the rest of his friend's waited in silence.**

**"Thank you, for making this journey with me," he said solemnly.**

**Bruce McGivern, a high-ranking member of US STRATCOM's Anit-Umbrella Pursuit Investigation team, merely shrugged at his words. "We're done here, then?"**

**Leon smiled faintly. "I think so." He turned to the man who had stood silently at his side during all of this. "You're sure?" **

**The man in question grunted, his indigo eyes narrowed as they met his own, and Leon took that as a yes. "We're ready to go, Bruce."**

**"Good," he stated with obvious relief, adding, "Ark looked like he was getting bored."**

**Quiet, soft-spoken Ark Thompson, also member of STRATCOM, frowned from his perch atop the jeep's hood. "I'm fine, Bruce. You just need to learn some patience."**

**Billy laughed at that, startling them all. "Good luck with that," he said in his driest voice, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets as he ambled forward. He was the newest member of their tight-knit group of friends, though Leon had knew him for a long time, the others weren't quite sure what to make of him. **

**Bruce snorted. "Stow it, Coen. Like _you're_ one to talk." **

**Billy grinned, but like all of his smiles, it never reached his dark blue eyes. "I never claimed to be a patient man, McGivern."**

**He'd had some trouble with the law in the past, both military and civilian, and it had taken Leon more than seven years to get the false charges against him dropped. Billy had come out of the ordeal a changed man. He rarely laughed, and he never truly smiled. He was cautious to the point of paranoia, but Leon really couldn't say anything there. He himself didn't go anywhere unarmed, but he only carried two handguns and his survival knife when not on a mission. Billy had a duffel bag stuffed full of guns and ammunition, and he never let it out of his sight. He even took it to the _bathroom_, which was something that Bruce teased him about unmercifully. **

**Eight years on the run, and three years imprisoned in a military mental institution before that, had taken its toll. Billy still had flashbacks from the operation in Africa, during which his team commander had ordered the slaughter of twenty-two innocent villagers. He'd managed to kill the team leader before he was brought down, but none of the villagers had survived. He'd been court-martialed and incarcerated in the cover-up, a death sentence hanging over his head, when he'd been offered a deal by Umbrella Inc. Umbrella had been using disenfranchised military men for their Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service squad for years. After all, who better to recruit for such a dangerous job than men who's only other alternative was death?**

**"Billy Coen, badass." Bruce was laughing as he added, "Leon S. Kennedy, a.k.a. Capt. Cub Scout." **

**"Screw you, McGivern," Leon snapped, smiling to take the sting out of it.**

**"No, thanks, Leon." The other man grinned hugely. "You're pretty, but nowhere near my type."**

**"How is Fong Ling, by the way?" Ark asked mildly.**

**It was Bruce's turn to frown at the other man's low-key teasing. "She's fine," he said shortly, still touchy about his on/off relationship with the beautiful Chinese spy. "At least, I'm getting some."**

**Ark smiled at that. "I've got two teenagers at home, man. I don't have time to. . .date."**

**"Or get laid, either." **

**"Sex is overrated," Billy said in a low rumble, his habitual scowl firmly in place as he headed for the jeep.**

**Bruce stared after him and shrugged. "Well, Ark, I guess you're not the only one doing without."**

**Ark winced as the slamming of a door sent him jumping off the hood. "Give it a rest, Bruce. We don't know Billy well enough to tease him like that."**

**"Yet," Bruce said with a grin.**

**"Let's just hope he doesn't take your teasing _too_ personally," Tom inserted quietly. "If he does, you're on your own, Bruce. I'm sure as hell not getting between you and him."**

**"I could take him," Bruce said confidently. "He might be tough, but he's no Morpheus."**

**Ark snorted at that. "Morpheus was a anime-reject," he said scornfully. "I don't know how you took him seriously long enough to kill him."**

**"At least, my sidekick was a gorgeous, kick-ass female spy," he jibed, "not two young children with no firearms experience whatsoever."**

**Ark flipped him off. "Yep, and they did a damn fine job, too. At least, _I_ didn't need a woman to save my ass."**

**"Uh-oh." Tom was smiling as he backed away from them. "This is going to get ugly. I think I'll wait in the car until it's over."**

**Leon shook his tawny head as he fought not to laugh. Bruce wasn't the only one who'd had his ass saved numerous times by a woman. "Come on, guys. Let's just get out of here."**

**Bruce chuckled at the very worried expression on his friend's face. "Don't worry, Leon. I'll take it out of his ass after we get home."**

**"A sparring session?" Ark's normally somber blue eyes lit up at that. He loved testing himself against Bruce, who continually managed beat him in hand-to-hand exercises. "You're on, McGivern."**

**"You want in on this?" Bruce asked as he climbed into the jeep. **

**"I don't think so," Leon returned as he opened the door. "I wouldn't want to damage anything Fong Li might need later. I'll watch, if that's okay with you."**

**"Just wait," the other man returned. "Someday, I'll be able to take you, Kennedy."**

**A sound came from the back that sounded suspiciously like a smothered laugh. Everyone turned towards the sound, and Billy shrugged. "Yeah," he drawled, "that'll happen."**

**"What about you?" Bruce laid his arms over the back of the seat, pinning Billy beneath a surprisingly piercing glance. "Do you want to join us? You can watch me beat Thompson's ass."**

**Billy's dark brows shot up at that. "I've got the training, but I'm no martial artist," he reminded him. "I fight a little differently than all of you."**

**"Hey, street fighters welcome," Bruce said magnanimously. "Maybe, we can both pick up a few tricks."**

**"Alright," Billy said at length, knowing that he had to make the effort, if for no other reason than these men were Kennedy's closest friends. "Let me know where and when, and I'll be there."**

**"Count me in," Tom said suddenly. "I do _not_ want to miss this."  
**

**Leon was smiling as he turned for one last look at the ruins of Raccoon City. Suddenly, he knew that he and his friends weren't the only people in the Arkham Mountains. His too-blue eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest to the east, where he was certain his watcher was ensconced. **

**"Is that you, Ada?" he murmured in a low voice.**

**He caught a glimpse of red satin trailing through the trees and laughed softly to himself. As he climbed into the car and started the engine, he told himself that he shouldn't be surprised. Ever since she had resurfaced two years ago during the Las Plagas incident, she had been popping in and out of his life. She'd broken into his home a number of times, leaving files and notes on whatever case he happened to be working on. Her way of apologizing for stealing the Las Plagas sample from him, maybe.**

**Leon wasn't sure, but it didn't really matter. He had a feeling that she'd been looking out for him a lot longer than he'd have ever believed possible. During their few conversations, she'd hinted that she'd been watching over him since his escape from Raccoon, but she always demurred when he pressed her for more. Ada Wong was a woman of mystery, and that would probably never change.**

**"Was she out there?" Bruce asked suddenly, causing Leon to flush uncomfortably. **

**"I think so," he answered as casually as he could. **

**"She was," Billy stated flatly. "She was in a tree about two hundred yards away from us."**

**Leon started at that. "You knew she was there?" he asked with surprise. "Why didn't you say anything?"**

**Billy raised one dark brow. "When is she _not_ there, Leon?"**

**He could feel himself blushing as he concentrated on the pitted concrete before him. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so he kept his mouth shut. More and more often lately, he'd felt the weight of an unseen gaze on him. It had made him feel uncomfortable in the beginning, but lately it had made him feel almost. . .safe.**

**Which was weird all on its own, because he didn't feel safe _anywhere_. Not at the White House, when he was protecting Ashley Graham, the President's daughter. Not at home, even though it had enough security measures to qualify as a modern fortress. He didn't even feel safe at STRATCOM headquarters, which was crawling with highly trained federal agents. Only when he felt Ada's eyes on him did he feel the least bit secure.**

**Yeah, he had a few problems, he thought with a sigh.**

**"So. . ." Tom said slowly, "when are we going to meet your 'woman in red'?"**

**Leon shrugged. "Probably never, Tom. We don't exactly have a normal relationship, you know."**

**"Isn't that the truth," Ark mumbled. "You and Bruce have the worst track record with women that I've ever seen."**

**Bruce rolled his cerulean eyes and flipped him off. "Yeah, and this is coming from Mr. Die-Hard-Bachelor."**

**"Hey, I've nothing against women," Ark protested. "I just have two kids to think about. They've been traumatized enough, as it is. I'm not bringing some strange woman who couldn't possibly understand them into their home."**

**"What about on the side?" Bruce suggested, utterly serious now. "The kids would never have to know about her, and you'd be a hellava lot happier than you are now."**

**Ark ran a hand through his rich brown hair. "Dammitt, Bruce, I'm not unhappy," he said with exasperation.**

**"No," Bruce shot back, "you're just really, really tense."**

**"Don't listen to him, Ark. You're not missing a damned thing." Billy's midnight eyes were narrowed on the passing countryside as he spoke. "You can't trust most women, anyway."**

**Leon winced at his words, wishing the other man weren't quite so bitter. "Well," he said in an attempt to steer the conversation away from Billy's cynical words, "if I ever manage to pin Ada down for longer than five minutes, I'll make sure she knows that you want to meet her, Tom. How's that?"**

**Tom smiled faintly. "That'll work, Lee."**

**Leon slanted a glance to his right to find Bruce eyeing Billy speculatively. "Bruce," he said warningly, "change the subject."**

**"Yeah, sure, Leon." The other man turned back around and settled into his seat. "Fong does say, 'Hi', by the way. She's going to be in town next week. She says she's got some intel you might want to take a look at."**

**"Wesker?" he asked sharply.**

**"Maybe," Bruce shrugged. "She didn't go into detail. She just said it might have something to do with your, ah, daughter."**

**_Sherry._ Leon's hands tightened on the wheel as he drove, the only outward sign of his sudden distress. "Bring her by, then," he said in his calmest voice. "You know she's always welcome."**

**"Cool." Bruce grinned at an obviously private joke. "I'll bring her over after we've had a chance to. . .catch up."**

**Leon managed a tight smile but didn't respond. Images flashed through his mind, but not of Raccoon City. He saw Sherry Birking as she'd looked the last time he saw her, being hurried into a government vehicle, her blue eyes looking to him for reassurance. He'd nodded and sent her a smile, covering his own nervousness at being forced into the government's employ. Sherry's car had followed his own as they'd been 'escorted' to a private airstrip. Less than two miles away, his car had been forced off the road, and he'd been forced to watch as men in gas masks had stuffed her into a helicopter and taken her away.**

**To this day, he still didn't know what had happened to her. The government investigation had uncovered rumors of Albert Wesker's involvement, but nothing had ever been proven. Ada had even looked into it, but hadn't been able to find anything definitive. A part of Leon was leery of trusting her, as she'd been working with Wesker in Spain, but Ada had promised him that she would never do anything to jeopardize his child.**

**God, Leon thought heavily, I wish I knew that I could believe her! In his mind, that was the biggest obstacle between the two of them. It didn't matter that she had died in Raccoon City and somehow come back, or that she had hidden her resurrection for six years. He didn't even care that, while she had gone out of her way to help him in Spain, she had still double-crossed him in the end. **

**No, what mattered the most was that he didn't know if he believed her about his daughter. Ada Wong was more than capable of looking in the eye while she lied through her pretty white teeth. And while she'd saved his ass numerous times, she had still worked with Wesker two years ago. That alone made her untrustworthy in his eyes.**

**"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He was _not_ going to do this to himself, again. He had never stopped looking for Sherry, and he never would, but he knew better than to torture himself like this. He'd drive himself crazy if he didn't keep his mind focused on what he _could_ do.**

**Which was find a way to draw Ada to him, and keep her with him long enough to have a real conversation with her. He needed answers, and she had them. It was that simple.**

**Leon forced himself to pay attention to his friends as they continued to bicker and argue and laugh. This was why he invited them to this depressing place every year. They let him do his mourning, and then made it damned hard to dwell on it. His friends were all very different people, yet they managed to get along, and work as a team. It was this kind of loyalty that was essential to STRATCOM's anti-Umbrella unit, and so important to the man they'd chosen to serve under.**

**Bruce came off as a reckless, sometimes even irresponsible, person. He had a great sense of humor, but he was also a very honorable man. He took his job very seriously and was willing to die for his ideals. He _was_ impulsive, but you didn't reach his rank if you weren't a responsible agent. Bruce was Leon's best friend, as well as his second-in-command, and he wouldn't have it any other way.**

**Ark Thompson was a genuinely good person. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, and offer it even if you didn't. He reminded Leon of himself in his younger days, before the horror of Raccoon City and the loss of Sherry Birkin had marked him. Leon had sent the young, competent agent to Sheena Island undercover, to investigate the rumors of an Umbrella facility there. Ark had gone in under an assumed name, and confirmed their suspicions. He'd escaped the T-virus outbreak with Lily and Lott, two children who had been lucky enough to survive Umbrella's Tyrant experiments. Ark had adopted them, and spent the last eight years tearing his hair out over them.**

**He'd met Tom Hansen in 2002, shortly after Jack Krauser had been reported dead in a helicopter crash. His handlers hadn't yet given up on partnering him with another agent, and Tom had been their answer. He'd been with the CIA once, his past so classified that even now, Leon couldn't access it. He'd ended up an anonymous sailor on the USS Ravennscroft, a Coast Guard vessel, where he'd been more than happy to blend into the background. The scandal that had surrounded his discharge from the CIA had been big news in the world of counter-intelligence, and he'd hated all the attention he'd received because of it. Like Billy, he'd been held accountable for a situation he couldn't have controlled, and people had died as a result. Tom was nearly as deadly as Leon was himself, though he did his best to hide it, and he was absolutely essential to the team. He was also a damn good friend.**

**Billy Coen was different. He was a survivor, not only of Raccoon City, but of the original incident in the Umbrella training facility. His MP escort had been attacked by the mutated Cerberus' in the Arkham Mountains, and he had managed to escape. He'd made his way onto an abandoned train, where he'd met Rebecca Chambers of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, and together they'd survived the initial outbreak. They'd gone their separate ways after their escape; Rebecca had gone on to join S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team in the Spencer Mansion, and Billy had continued to run from the law.**

**Leon had met him in January of '98, just after Claire had left him to search for her brother in Europe. Leon had been lost and angry because the woman he'd fallen so hard for had left he and their adopted daughter so abruptly. Sherry, who had been so shy that she wouldn't even _look_ a stranger in the eye, had seen Billy in the park and walked right over to him. Stunned, Leon had followed, introduced himself, and they had traded tales. They'd been friends ever since.**

**Then, the government had come looking for Leon. They had used Sherry to blackmail him into their service, and Billy had simply disappeared. It had taken nearly seven years for Leon to find evidence of a military cover-up, and another six months before he'd been cleared. Leon had flown immediately to Seattle, where Billy had been hiding under an assumed name, and brought him back to D.C. a free man.**

**Billy had been in therapy ever since, but it was a slow process. He had no family to speak of, and no friends. He didn't trust anyone, except maybe Leon, and he was actively hostile to almost everyone he met. He'd been making an effort to be friendly to the other members of STRATCOM, but you could tell that his heart just wasn't it. He'd left it in the Arkham Mountains with Rebecca Chambers eight years ago.**

**Leon was the only one who knew just why the other man avoided women so thoroughly, and it was no one's business but Billy's. He wished his taciturn friend would let go of Rebecca and move on, but Leon didn't think it would ever happen. Whether it was what they had gone through together, or what Billy had gone through on his own, Leon didn't know. Rebecca was a part of him he didn't believe he'd ever escape.**

**God, what a mess, Leon thought as he negotiated the rough asphalt road. He'd insisted that Billy move in with him, and the other man made a great roommate, but he often wondered if he'd made the right decision. He worried that Billy might never learn to trust people outside of STRATCOM, and that was something he desperately needed to do. Otherwise, he was still a fugitive, just of a different sort.**

**As for women, Leon wasn't in a position to criticize anyone. His strange, not-quite relationship with Ada was something he'd never known how to classify. He'd met her in the bowels of the R.P.D., where she'd claimed to be looking for her boyfriend, who was an Umbrella researcher.**

**In reality, she'd been an undercover agent of Umbrella's main competitor, who's identity was still uncertain. She had been sent in by none other than Albert Wesker to steal a sample of the G-virus. Instead, she had died after refusing to shoot _him_ for the sample. **

**Of course, there had been that mysterious silhouette with the husky voice that had thrown him a rocket launcher when he'd been fighting a mutated William Birkin. He'd called her name and gotten no response. Afterwards, he'd convinced himself that it had been someone else. He had held her in his arms as she'd died, after all. But a part of him had always wondered.**

**Leon had mourned her death as deeply as possible while falling in love with Claire Redfield, younger sister of S.T.A.R.S. member Chris Redfield. Three months after their harrowing ordeal in Raccoon, she had gotten word of Chris' whereabouts and left for Europe. Hurt by what he saw as her betrayal of he and Sherry, Leon had told her to go and not come back.**

**And she hadn't, Leon thought with a self-deprecating smile. She'd met a boy on Rockfort Island, a kid by the name of Steve Burnside, and she'd fallen hard for him. His death had devastated her, and Leon had forced himself to ignore his feelings and settle for being her friend. Even after the government had moved him to Washington D.C., he'd kept in touch with her and the other S.T.A.R.S. members, who had worked so hard to bring Umbrella down. **

**Then, Ada had come back into his life in the most dramatic of ways, and his memories of Claire had been eclipsed by the rush of emotion he'd always felt for the older woman. Caring for Ada Wong wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done--not by a long shot--but he wouldn't change it even if he could. His response to her had showed him that he wasn't dead inside, as he had feared. He was alive in all the ways that mattered, and for that alone, he would always be grateful to Ada Wong. **

**He still remembered the rumors he'd heard of a woman in red during the course of STRATCOM's many investigations into possible Umbrella-related cases. But Ada had hidden herself too well, and he hadn't let himself hope that she might still be alive. It wasn't until she'd shown up in the Salazar castle in Spain, during the Los Illuminados incident, that he'd finally let himself believe it. He'd discovered that she was working with Albert Wesker, though he would never understand why, especially since the former Umbrella researcher was trying to _resurrect_ the dead pharmaceutical giant.**

**Ada had never answered any of his questions about Wesker, or the organization that they both worked for. She'd only said that the Las Plagas sample she'd stolen from him at gunpoint hadn't gone to Wesker. He still didn't know if he believed her, but the research he'd done seemed to support her claims. He only hoped his intel was correct, or he'd be guilty of more than simply trusting the wrong woman.**


	2. Chapter 2

-1**Chapter Two**

**Washington D.C., September 30, 2006**

**Billy padded through the house on silent feet, his instincts drawing him to Leon's bedroom. Although he loathed the thought of violating the other man's privacy, he followed his gut and pushed the door open. It wasn't Leon standing beside the bed, a silver-framed picture in his hands. It was Leon's ghost, his 'woman in red' as Hansen insisted on calling her. Ada Wong had once again circumvented Leon's state-of-the-art security system to gain access to his private domain.**

**"I expected you earlier," Billy said quietly, watching with hidden amusement as her slender shoulders stiffened, the only outward sign that he had surprised her. "What kept you?"**

**Ada Wong set the picture down carefully and turned around in the same graceful movement. "I'm afraid a had little trouble with the government patrols outside Raccoon City," she said with a slight smile. "It took me longer than expected to lose them."**

**Billy nodded curtly, his cobalt gaze going to picture as she moved away from it. He hated the picture of the resurrected S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team, in which Rebecca had her arm around the man who had replaced him. Leon knew this, and usually kept it turned towards the bed, just in case Billy came to his room for something. It rarely happened, though. Billy wasn't one to ask for help unless he truly needed it.**

**Ada approached him with warily. It wasn't that she was afraid of Billy Coen. She knew that he still had flashbacks from his time in Africa, and he was capable of lashing out quite violently while in the throes of one. She was simply being cautious. "How have you been?" Ada inquired solicitously.**

**One corner of his mouth curled in a slight smile. "I'm okay, sweetheart. How about you?" he asked just as carefully.**

**"The same." She shrugged delicately. "You know how it is, walking that line."**

**"Yeah, it's a bitch, and I'm nowhere near as good at it as you are." Billy backed out of the bedroom, and waited for her to pass him before closing the door. "Leon knows that you were there yesterday."**

**Ada nodded, the barest hint of a smile gracing her lips. "I heard him through the monitoring equipment. I believe he's finally getting used to me," she added almost wistfully.**

**"I don't think he minds the surveillance either, if that means anything to you." Billy led her into the kitchen, gesturing for her to sit at the breakfast bar, and dug a beer out of the refrigerator. He didn't offer her one, as he knew she didn't drink beer. He twisted the cap off and took a long swallow. "So, are you going to hang around this time?"**

**She looked away briefly, her dark blue eyes focusing on something only she could see. "I'd like to," she said at length. "I just don't know how safe it would be. You know what I risk I'm taking just being here, now."**

**"Don't you think you should tell him what's going on with you?" Billy asked in a low voice. "I think it would help him to know that you're on his side."**

**"Maybe." Ada's sapphire eyes narrowed slightly on the other man. "What about you? Are you ever going to tell him that you know me, or that--"**

**"No," he responded flatly.**

**She smiled mockingly at his quick response. "And you expect _me_ to trust him with the truth?"**

**"That's not what I meant," Billy scowled.**

**"Oh, really?" Ada questioned coolly. "And just what did you mean, handsome?"**

**"Fuck." Billy pushed away from the counter in an angry motion. "Don't mess with me, doll face. I'm not Leon, to take that kind of shit from you. You know damn well what I meant."**

**She sighed heavily. "He'd never forgive me if he knew the truth, Billy. He barely trusts me, now. I won't risk what little he's given me for anything."**

**"Exactly," he told her evenly. "I appreciate all the help you've given me over the years, but Leon's the only friend that I've got. I'd like to keep it that way, if it's all the same to you."**

**"I understand." Ada stood in an uncharacteristically restless motion and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you think you could disappear for a while tonight? I'd like some time alone with him."**

**One dark brow shot upwards in surprise. "What about the danger?" he asked tauntingly. "I thought you were worried about that?"**

**She shot him an annoyed look, and he flashed her a shark's smile. "Have fun, sweetheart. Just don't break his heart, or I'll break your beautiful neck."**

**Ada laughed involuntarily as he walked out of the room. She had first approached Billy Coen because of Leon's obvious worry over his friend. She had surprised herself by actually coming to like the taciturn soldier. She had helped him over the years, supplying him with false identification, giving him money when he needed it, and helping him escape the authorities when they got too close. She had even managed to find him a safe haven--of sorts. They weren't exactly friends, but they had an understanding when it came to Leon S. Kennedy, and neither was willing to breach it.**

**Ada went to the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of wine that she had left there two weeks ago. Leon didn't normally drink wine, but he'd laughed when he'd found it, and he'd left it where it was. She'd been watching from the rooftop across the street, and she had laughed with him, knowing that he was closer to accepting her than he had ever been before.**

**She grabbed two fluted glasses from the cupboard--also compliments of her--and took them into the living room. Leon was due home any minute now, and she wanted to have everything just so. If things went well tonight, she and Leon would finally come together, and just maybe come to an understanding of their own.**

**She started a fire in the fireplace and settled back on the sofa to wait. Hopefully, he wouldn't work too late tonight. Eight years apart had been long enough.**

**Leon entered his home with a relieved sigh. He locked the door behind him and dropped his keys on the sidebar. He turned to the key pad above it and punched in a sequence of numbers. The little light turned green, indicating that it was disarmed, and he reset it with a self-deprecating smile. He never truly felt safe anymore, not even in his own home, and it showed.**

**He took a few steps towards the living room and froze. The little hairs on the nape of his neck stirred as his instincts screamed that something wasn't right. Leon drew his handgun and approached the end of the hallway with slow, cautious steps. A fire burned in the fireplace, on the opposite side of the large room. He knew damn well that he hadn't lit it, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew who did, and it wasn't his withdrawn roommate.**

**Just in case, he kept the gun out and stepped quickly into the room. The sight that greeted his blue eyes wasn't exactly a welcome one, but he had to admit that it was one he'd fantasized about for eight long years. "Ada," he greeted, his voice husky despite his efforts to steady it. "How did you get in here?"**

**Ada Wong smiled mysteriously from her place on his sofa, her midnight blue eyes moving over him with obvious interest. "A good agent never reveals her secrets. You should know that, Leon."**

**He smothered a laugh at her typically cryptic response and lowered the gun. "Okay," he said slowly, "let's try something else. Why don't you tell me _why_ you broke into my house--again."**

**She made a graceful gesture with one slender hand, and his gaze followed the motion to the coffee table. Her handgun, her PDS communicator, and the slim piece of metal that passed as her survival knife lay innocently on it's wooden surface. A bottle of wine and two fluted glasses sat beside the small arsenal, and Leon knew that she wasn't there in any professional capacity.**

**"Is that answer enough?" Ada asked in her sexiest voice, crossing her legs so that her long red skirt fell away, showing them to their best advantage. **

**"I suppose that it is." Leon holstered the .9 millimeter and shrugged out of his jacket. He draped it over the arm of the sofa and seated himself carefully beside her. His crystal blue gaze swept over her body, lingering on the smooth length of her legs, before coming up to meet hers. "Why now?"**

**"Why not?" she countered, shifting so that she could pour them a glass of wine.**

**Leon watched her with greedy eyes, eagerly cataloguing each and every fluid movement she made. He accepted the glass that she gave him, waiting until she had settled back to say, "You didn't answer my question, Ada."**

**"No, I didn't." Ada considered proposing a toast, but she didn't think that he would appreciate it. It was enough that he was taking her presence in the fortress he called a home so well. She wasn't going to push her luck.**

**"Ada. . ."**

**His voice trailed off warningly, and she lifted her shoulders in a delicate shrug. "What can I say, handsome?" She took a small sip, keeping her eyes trained on his. "Our paths haven't crossed in nearly a year. Maybe, I've missed you."**

**Leon laughed aloud at that. "Since when?" he questioned, his smile holding. "You've had no problem walking away every other time we've met. Or staying away, for that matter. What makes the last eleven months so different?"**

**The enigmatic smile that had always driven him crazy died at his words, leaving her looking disturbingly vulnerable. "Maybe, I finally got tired of waiting," she said at length, her gaze dropping to the glass in her hand. "Does it truly matter why I'm here, Leon? Isn't it enough that I am?"**

**He frowned at both her baffling words, and the sudden lack of eye contact. "Of course it matters," he said, setting his untouched glass on the table. "What were you tired of waiting for, Ada? Why won't you look me in the eye?"**

**"Leon." Ada placed her glass alongside his and forced a smile to her lips. She lifted her head and met his gaze boldly, as she always had in the past. He seemed to relax, apparently reassured by the façade she had always shown him, and she knew that she'd made a mistake. "Coming here was a mistake. I should go."**

**Leon watched with disbelief as she reached for her weapons and rose to her feet. "Wait!" His hand shot out, capturing her deceptively dainty wrist in a firm grip. "Damn it, Ada, what's going on here?"**

**She shook her head and tugged on her wrist, once, as a warning. "Let me go, Leon."**

**"No," he told her stubbornly, pulling until she found herself sprawled inelegantly beside him. "Talk to me, Ada. Tell me what's wrong."**

**Her sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously on his, and Leon had the insane urge to laugh, which he was sure would piss her off even more. "Please," he added, his free hand coming up to cradle her face, "talk to me, honey."**

**Ada went completely still as he willingly touched her for the first time in eight years. She closed her eyes briefly, savoring the sensation of his skin against hers. He whispered her name once more, and she opened her eyes to his. "I really have missed you, Leon."**

**His breath caught at the sincerity underlying her words, and he suddenly knew just what it was she had grown tired of waiting for. "I've missed you, too," he admitted, his heart beating heavily in his chest as he wondered if--finally--he would get what he had dreamed of for the last eight years. "So, where does that leave us?"**

**"Wherever you want," she told him, her smoky voice wrapping itself around his senses. "A kiss would be a good start, don't you think?"**

**Leon chuckled roughly even as he shifted closer. "You're not dying, are you?" he asked in a murmur. "I don't think I could go through that, again."**

**The only kiss they had ever shared had been in the bowels of the secret Umbrella lab below Raccoon City, just after a mutated William Birkin had broken nearly every bone in her body. She had confessed her love for him, and he had kissed her all too gently. She had blacked out, death mere moments away. She had awakened a short time later, only to find Albert Wesker been standing over her. She had been terrified, though she hadn't let him see it, as he'd explained to her just how it was that she had survived.**

**Ada pushed those memories away as she covered Leon's hand with her own. "No," she assured him huskily, "I'm not dying. Now shut and kiss me, handsome, before I embarrass myself by attacking you."**

**A slow smile spread across his normally angelic features, and Ada was stunned by the predatory air it lent him. Excitement stirred in her as she realized that she had been right. As nice as Leon Kennedy undoubtedly was, there was a _lot_ more to him than he showed to the world. Maybe, her tame little tiger really _was_ a lion in disguise. God, but she hoped so!**

**Leon smoothed his hand down the sleek line of her neck, keeping his eyes on hers as he gripped the back of her neck gently. He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers, his mouth lingering over the kiss, before pulling back to gauge her response. She sent him a little mocking half-smile, her expression full of challenge, and his own lips quirked in response. Whatever was happening here, Ada was fully prepared for it. Leon only hoped that he was, too.**

**"Are you sure?" he asked, utterly serious now. "There's no going back from here, Ada."**

**"I know," Ada acknowledged quietly. She gazed him for a long moment before the smile resurfaced. Gripping the straps of his shoulder holster, she yanked him closer and pressed her lips to his. "Put your back into it," she suggested, and gasped as he did just that, wrapping his arms around her and slamming his mouth to hers.**

**He pulled her under him, his hands mapping the sleek contours of her undeniably feminine body. She moaned his name as her hands did the same, and Leon gave himself over to the woman who had haunted him for so long.**

**Leon stirred a long while later, barely able to lift his head, exhausted beyond belief. Ada lay sprawled atop him, her chin propped up on her hands, her midnight eyes locking on his. Her sleek sable hair was mussed from his hands, and he smoothed it down with a trembling hand. She sent him a smile, one surprisingly free of its usual mockery, and he returned it openly.**

**"Are you okay?" he questioned hoarsely.**

**"Mmmmm, I'm wonderful," she responded languidly, purring as his hand tunneled deeper into her hair. "How about you, lover? You didn't strain anything, did you?"**

**Leon laughed even rich color flooded his face. "You're incredible, Ada. Though I'm sure you know that," he added wryly .**

**Ada's smile froze at his words, though she was sure he didn't mean them as they'd sounded. "I can't take all of the credit," she said, keeping her tone light. "After all, I can only be as good as my partner, right?"**

**"Thanks," he returned in his driest voice. "I know I got a little rough, though. I'm sorry, about that."**

**"Don't be, Leon. I'm not." She crept carefully up his body and pressed her lips to his throat. "Eight years of foreplay was more than enough for me."**

**"God, yes!" Leon shuddered and wrapped his arms around her, his exhaustion suddenly replaced by the desire that had always been present around Ada Wong. "I'm just glad you finally came to me, Ada, whatever the reason."**

**"So am I," she whispered just before her teeth sank into his neck.**

**Leon groaned deeply and let it go. Soon enough, he would ruin this with demands for answers she wouldn't be willing to give. For now, it was enough that she was here, in his arms, her lithe body moving sensuously against his. It was more than he had ever hoped for, though it was only the beginning of what he wanted from Ada Wong.**

**The floor creaked above them, reminding Leon that they weren't alone in the house. His blue eyes were wide as he grasped Ada's waist and twisted them both into a sitting position. "Billy's here!" he gasped, his face coloring with embarrassment. "I can't believe I forgot about him!"**

**Ada uttered a low laugh as she stood, unashamedly nude. "Don't worry, Leon. He knows I'm here," she assured him as she gathered her clothes and weapons. "Grab the wine, lover. At least, one of us will drink it."**

**Leon stared after her, dumbfounded, then slowly did as she suggested. He followed her through the house, uncomfortably aware that he was bare-ass naked, and his male roommate was home. He wondered why Ada wasn't nervous, then laughed at himself. Of course, Ada wouldn't be nervous. She was more comfortable with her sexuality than any woman he'd ever known. **

**Her confidence was part of her charm, he thought as he hurried through the second floor hallway and ducked into his room. She was as beautiful as she was deadly, and she knew it. In all the time he'd known her, the only time that self-assurance had been shaken was when she'd dealt with _him._ Her hesitation when she'd held him at gunpoint in the Umbrella lab below Raccoon City had been the first crack in her cool composure. The second and only other time had been two years ago in Spain, when the Las Plagas parasite he'd been injected with had taken over. He'd nearly strangled her, and a part of him had _enjoyed_ it.**

**Leon shuddered and pushed the disturbing memory away. She hadn't held him accountable for _that_, for which he was infinitely grateful. He closed the bedroom door, smiling as she immediately sprawled gracefully onto his California King, and followed. He set the wine and the two untouched glasses on the nightstand and paused. A frown pulled his tawny brows together as he realized that the picture of S.T.A.R.S. that he kept there had been laid flat on its face.**

**He reached for it and hesitated, his hand hovering it, as he glanced to his right. Ada was watching him with cool midnight eyes, her guard firmly in place. "Why?" he asked finally, dropping to the edge of the bed.**

**Ada tilted her head slightly as she studied him. "Why do you think?" she countered carefully.**

**Leon just sighed, his disappointment obvious. "Do we have to do this every time I ask you a question, Ada? Can't we ever just talk, like two normal people? Does it always have to be a game?"**

**"Leon. . ." She sat up and pulled her legs under her, her dark blue eyes never leaving his. "Surely, you know why I object to that picture?"**

**"If I knew, I wouldn't ask," he snapped, incensed over what he saw as yet another evasion.**

**Two dusky black brows shot up at the burst of temper. There was no doubt in her mind. Her tiger was a lion, after all. "I watched you after Raccoon, you know," she began almost idly. "I saw just how much you came to care for that Redfield girl. I simply do not like being reminded of it."**

**"Clare?" he questioned, his frown deepening. **

**"Yes," she answered simply. **

**"Okay," Leon said slowly, turning to face her fully. "So, that's what bothers you? The fact that my ex-girlfriend is in the picture?"**

**Ada shrugged, feigning a casualness she didn't feel. "One of my little quirks, I'm afraid."**

**"You call that little?" he muttered under his breath, stunned to discover that for all of her self-possession, she was as insecure as any other woman when confronted with her lover's former partner. "Ada--"**

**"Leave it alone, Leon." Her words carried a warning even as she reached for him. "I don't need, or want, any explanations."**

**He shook his fair head even as he pulled her closer. "You're jealous," he murmured with wonder, unable to hide his delight in the knowledge. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, her entire body stiffening against his, and this time he gave into the impulse to laugh aloud. "You shouldn't be, you know. Claire was a long time ago."**

**"And you still keep her picture at your bedside," Ada responded flatly.**

**She began to wriggle away from him, and Leon had had enough. He pulled her more firmly against him and used his superior weight to push her back on the bed. He covered his body with hers, pulling her hands up above her head, to keep her in place. She glared at him hotly, her sapphire eyes promising retaliation, and his breath caught with excitement.**

**"I keep a picture of S.T.A.R.S. next to my bed, Ada." He rested his forehead against hers, trying to control the sudden hammering of his heart. "Yes, Claire's in it, but she isn't the reason it's there."**

**"No?" she questioned, her voice cool despite her fury at being subdued so easily.**

**"No," Leon stated forcefully. He freed one hand and slid it into her silky black hair, his thumb sweeping over the high arch of her cheek. "What happened in Raccoon City was a turning point in my life, Ada. Helping S.T.A.R.S., even though it was only for a short time, was very important to me. If you've watched me as long as you've said, you have to know that."**

**Ada gazed up at his earnest expression, and felt her resistance begin to drain away. "Yes, I know how important they are to you," she conceded reluctantly.**

**"Then, you should be able to understand why I keep the picture," he said in a quiet voice. "I lost everything when the G-virus was released in Raccoon. My parents, my friends, everything was just. . .gone."**

**The pain in his crystalline eyes made her wince. "Leon--"**

**"No, let me finish," he rasped. When she remained silent, he sighed and released her hands. "I met you, Claire, and Sherry that night. I couldn't save you, no matter how hard I'd tried, and it fucking hurt, Ada. Elza was already gone. I knew even when I went back to look that she hadn't survived. If nothing else, I'd managed to get Claire and Sherry out of that hell, and that helped some."**

**"Working with S.T.A.R.S., even if only feeding them information, helped even more," Leon continued, determined to be completely honest in this. "Yes, I loved Claire, but I got over it. I didn't have a choice if I was going to survive. Then, you came back into my life, and everything changed."**

**Ada went still at his words, and the soft glow that had softened the stark depths of his too-blue eyes. She tilted her head to one side but didn't speak. She was afraid that if she did, she would ruin the moment, and whatever might come next.**

**Leon eased himself to her side and pulled her close, stubborn in his resolve that she understand just what she meant to him. "For the first time in six years, I felt _alive_," he murmured into her hair. "As disappointed as I was to discover that you were working with Wesker, it was. . .good to see you again. You were as wily as ever, honey. Walking and breathing and trying like hell to kick my ass. It got my juices flowing, I have to tell you!"**

**He laughed softly, smoothing one hand over the smooth skin of her shoulder. "God, you pissed me off, using the those stupid sunglasses with the flash charge to get away. I wanted nothing more than to follow you, and demand an explanation. But I knew better," he stated humorously. "I had a teenage girl to rescue, and a castle full of traps and parasite-controlled monks to navigate. I didn't have the time to go chasing after _you_, no matter how badly I wanted to."**

**"The knife surprised me," Ada offered, watching with barely concealed awe as he flashed her a surprisingly child-like smile. "It was the last thing I'd expected from you."**

**"I know. I get that a lot," Leon said, chuckling. "Must be because I look so damned young."**

**"That's part of it." Ada shifted until she was looming over him, running her fingers over the small, nearly invisible scar on his right cheek. "I wanted to kill Krauser when I saw this. I didn't like that he'd marked you, and that I hadn't been there to stop him."**

**Leon nodded, his smile dimming at the memory. "I thought I was a dead man, Ada. Have I thanked you for saving me?" **

**"I think we're even," she said with a small laugh. "After all, you saved me from my own overconfidence with Saddler."**

**"That scared the hell out of me," he admitted with a shiver. "When I looked up and saw you hanging there, I was sure you were dead, and that it was my fault."**

**"You got the child out away from him," Ada reminded him somberly. "That's what was important."**

**"That child was a twenty year old girl who's _still_ got a crush on me," Leon returned, rolling his eyes.**

**"Mmmm, she has good taste," Ada murmured with appreciation. She raised a hand to his handsome face and sighed breathlessly. "I don't think it's because you look young, Leon. I think it's because you're so damned pretty."**

**Leon scowled at that. "I am _not_ pretty, Ada."**

**"Sure you are." She grinned at his obvious displeasure, loving that he felt comfortable enough with her to allow her tease him this way. "It's okay, Leon. I _like_ my men pretty."  
**

**"Witch," he muttered, unable to suppress a smile. He flipped her beneath him and brushed his lips across hers. "You'll pay for that."**

**She laughed freely as she hugged him to her. "A girl can hope," she whispered outrageously.**

**Leon laughed with her even as his body sank into hers. "You'll stay, won't you?" he asked on a moan.**

**Her breath caught in an audible gasp. "Yes, I'll stay."**

**He slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss, and the time for talk came to an end. **

**Leon awoke the next morning abruptly, not sure what had disturbed him. He glanced at the clock, which promptly blurred out of focus. Swearing under his breath, he rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. He didn't care what time it was, anyway. If he was late for work, they could fire him. He just didn't care. He felt like shit, and he was going back to sleep.**

**The pillow beneath his head moved, and he went completely still. He raised his head slowly, and encountered a pair of sleep-heavy sapphire eyes. ****A smile crept across his lips as the night before flashed through his mind, and the woman who's breasts he had so innocently appropriated smiled back.**

**"Ada," he murmured, struggling to keep his eyes open.**

**"Good morning," Ada greeted, her voice even huskier than normal. "Sleep well?"**

**Leon laughed shortly and dropped his head back to her chest. "Need more," he mumbled, giving up the fight and closing his eyes once more.**

**"Sex?" she asked in a suggestive tone, only half-teasing.**

**"Sleep," he clarified just before slumber reclaimed him.**

**Ada laughed silently as his well-muscled body relaxed against hers. She was feeling the effects of a night with virtually no rest herself, but she didn't want to go back to sleep just yet. She'd spent the last hour just watching him sleep, drinking in all the subtle nuances of Leon Scott Kennedy. She hadn't thought she'd ever get the chance to observe him like this, with all of his defenses down, and she didn't want to waste a single moment of it.**

**He didn't snore, which surprised the hell out of her. Every other man she'd ever known had. He didn't kick, or flail about in his sleep. He slept as heavily, as innocently, as a young child. The nightmares he'd had for so many years after Raccoon City had apparently gone. **

**Of course, this was the first night she'd ever spent with him, and he hadn't slept more than a few hours. It was possible that he had them more often than she realized. After all, her nearly constant surveillance of him didn't extend to his bedroom. He deserved his privacy there, at the very least.**

**She ran her hands through his thick golden hair with a small sigh. God, she had wanted to touch him like this for years. Ever since he had so stubbornly insisted on protecting her in the basement of the R.P.D. He'd been so young and idealistic, so certain that the shiny new badge he sported put him in charge. She had shown him differently time and again, but he hadn't wavered in his determination to protect of her. He had even taken a bullet meant for her, and she had gone running after the woman who'd shot him, leaving him to fend for himself in the monster-infested sewer. **

**Ada still cringed when she thought of it. Her assignment had been to retrieve a sample of the G-virus at all costs, and she'd believed that Annette Birkin had it. She'd found out differently later, but not until Annette had tried once again to kill her. She had been forced to disarm the crazy bitch, who had fallen off the walkway during the struggle.**

**She and Leon had met up once again in the underground garbage dump, where he had saved her from the giant mutated alligator that had taken up residence there. She'd bandaged his wound and stayed with him until she herself had been injured, and he'd been forced to secure their exit alone. She had waited until he was gone, then went hunting for the sample.**

**They'd met again over the barrel of her gun, and for the first time, she had wavered in her duty to the organization. She hadn't been able to kill him for the sample, and she had paid the ultimate price. William Birkin had burst into the room, in all of his grotesque, mutated glory, and she had made sure that he came after _her_. And he had. He'd slammed her into that console so hard that she'd _felt_ her bones breaking simultaneously. It had hurt like hell, but it had been worth it, because Leon had been spared.**

**She had apologized to him, and confessed her newfound feelings for him. He'd begged her to stay with him, but she hadn't been able to stay conscious. Her last memory had been of him, and the feel of his lips on hers.**

**Then, she'd woken to find _him_ standing over her, the ever-present black sunglasses gone, his unnatural reddish eyes boring into hers. He'd explained that she was like him now, that he had used the T-virus to bring her back from death, and that she belonged him. He'd offered to take her out of Raccoon City then, but she'd had other plans, and told him so. **

**For some reason she would never fathom, Wesker had let her go. He'd dropped a rocket launcher at her feet and simply walked away. She'd gone straight to the trolley station, knowing that she'd find Leon there. And she had, in the midst of a seemingly hopeless battle with a further mutated William Birkin. She'd yelled his name and tossed the grenade launcher to him. **

**She still remembered the disbelief in his rich voice as he'd called her name. Wesker had appeared out of the shadows then, and beckoned her to him. She had gone with him, knowing that she really didn't have a choice, and together they had fled Raccoon City. **

**To this day, she didn't regret dying to protect Leon Kennedy. He was still a good man, though his experiences had hardened him. He'd forgiven her for betraying him not once, but twice. She didn't fool herself into thinking there would be a third time. When he discovered just what she had hidden from him, their bizarre relationship would come to a bitter, perhaps even violent, end.**

**Which was what made this time with him so important, Ada reminded herself. This was the only chance she'd ever have to be with the man she had sacrificed so much for. He would never believe it, but she loved him as much as she was capable of loving another person. It might not be enough for him, but it was all she had to give.**

**Someday, after they had gone their separate ways, she would work up the courage to do the impossible--kill Albert Wesker. She had wanted him dead ever since he'd used that damned virus to resurrect her. So far, she hadn't shown any of the signs that he had, but she hated knowing that she wasn't quite human anymore. She was only grateful that it hadn't been the G-virus, or even worse, the T-Veronica virus. Both were incredibly unstable. Once you were infected with either, there was little chance that you would retain your human form.**

**So far, the only side effect of the virus had been an accelerated healing rate. It was something that had worked in her favor in the years since Raccoon City. As much as she hated the presence of the T-virus in her system, she was infinitely glad that it hadn't turned her into a monster. Something to be grateful for, she supposed.**

**Ada closed her eyes and let herself drift to sleep, on hand still tangled in Leon's soft hair. With any luck, her own nightmares wouldn't resurface, and ruin what had been a near-perfect evening.**


	3. Chapter 3

-1**Chapter Three: October 6, 2006**

**Leon glanced impatiently at the clock for fifth time in as many minutes. He scowled as he realized that he was doing it, again. He was watching the damned clock like a nervous teenager, waiting for his favorite girl to call. Unfortunately, that analogy was a little too close to the truth for comfort.**

**Ada had kissed him goodbye a six long days ago. She had promised to return when she could, but so far he hadn't heard a damn thing from her. Not a phone call, or even a carefully placed file on his desk. He hadn't even felt her eyes on him, as he had so often before. She had seemingly disappeared, and he was angry as hell because of it.**

**He glanced around what the real estate agent had described as the ballroom. He had converted the large space into a training room, not only for him, but for all of his team. It was a place to blow off steam _away_ from work. Bruce and Ark were currently going at it, while Tom and Billy watched from the sidelines. Ark was putting up a good fight, but as usual, Bruce was kicking his ass. At least, the sparring kept Bruce from needling _him_ about the scarlet-clad woman they'd all seen sneaking off his property last week.**

**His frown deepened at the thought. Ada had always been so careful in the past. She'd come and gone without leaving any evidence that she had been there, except whatever she had _wanted_ him to find. So, why the hell hadn't she waited until his men had drug him to work to leave? Why had she left in full daylight, while the other members of STRATCOM had looked on?**

**"Shit," he muttered to himself, wishing like hell she would show so he could give her the lecture she deserved. No matter what she thought, he wasn't a man to let a woman lead him around by nose. After Claire's desertion, he had sworn that he would never again follow a woman's lead. And he hadn't, until Ada had come back into his life.**

**He knew that she cared for him, damn it! She'd shown it in a hundred little ways, but most telling was the nearly constant surveillance of the past two years. She must have spent all of her free time watching over him, essentially stalking him, but in the best possible way. How could she walk away now, after all they had shared?**

**I am going to kill her, Leon thought with mounting anger. This was it. No more screwing around, no more _waiting_ for her to come back. He was going to use all of his contacts, call in every favor he was owed, and he was going to track the bitch down. He was going to demand an explanation, and then _he_ was going to be the one who walked away. **

**He watched Ark go down for the umpteenth time and his scowl deepened. Damn, but he wished Bruce was up to scrapping with him. He really needed to find a way to diffuse some of this anger before he lost his temper with the wrong person. Ark definitely wasn't up to it, and Billy was too damn stubborn. He'd keep fighting until one of them ended up hurt, which was why he rarely sparred with any of them.**

**Which left Tom, Leon thought with a wince. Shit, he was going to hurt _himself_ with this one. "Hey, Tom?" The other man's head came up, and he managed a tight smile. "You want to go a few rounds?"**

**Tom shrugged casually, but his bright blue eyes shone with anticipation. "I'm game if you are, Lee." **

**Leon laughed shortly. "Just remember that I asked for this, Tom."**

**"Don't worry, Lee. I will." Tom's tone was very dry as he moved towards the large mat in the center of the room. He removed the knife-sheath from his belt and held it up with a questioning expression.**

**"Not now," Leon responded as he approached the mat. "Keep it handy, though."**

**Laid-back, easy-going Tom Hansen dropped into a defensive stance with what could only be described as an unholy grin. Leon shook his head a little as he slowly did the same, minus the smile. He just wanted to find a way work through his rage, so he didn't lose it at some crucial moment. At least, there wasn't much of a chance that he'd hurt Tom. They would both walk away sore, but he wouldn't do permanent damage to anyone else. **

**They began to circle one another in a slow, wary dance, each looking for an opening that the other wasn't willing to give. Tom's gaze was locked on his, searching for any sign of weakness. Leon stared right back, ignoring his hackles as they rose in response to that look. He was normally a very patient man, but his tolerance levels were low this morning, and the other man knew it. Tom rarely let anything bother him, and this morning was no different. Unfortunately, he already had the advantage in this confrontation, and not a blow had been struck.**

**"Are you sure about this, Lee?" he asked in low, barely audible voice. "You seem a little off your game today."**

**Leon nodded curtly, ignoring his bangs as they slid into his face. "Just swing already, Tom."**

**Tom's eyes flickered at his friend's stubbornness, but he kept his mouth shut. It was rare to see Leon so unsettled, but it _did_ happen. With a mental shrug, he pushed his concern aside and stepped forward. Leon jerked his head backwards in time, but just barely. He'd felt the Tom's knuckles graze his nose, along with a rush air. Yeah, he was definitely 'off his game'.**

**He swung at the other man's head, only to have his punch blocked. Tom's right fish found his stomach, and Leon felt the breath leave his body in a rush. _Shit!_ he thought even as he pushed the other man away, that fucking hurt! He whipped his body around, bringing his left leg up for a roundhouse, and was shocked as hell when it connected.**

**Tom was knocked flat on his back, looking as surprised as Leon felt. "Damn, Lee, I didn't mean to piss you off!" he joked even as he sprang to his feet. "That was pretty damned good. Is this what you do with _all_ your free time?"**

**"Nope," Leon responded with a grin, feeling pleased with himself, "just most of it."**

**The other man laughed even as he took a step forward. His own foot lashed out low, knocking Leon off of his feet with a foot-sweep. He stood over him, his dimples flashing, her blue eyes twinkling. "You need help getting back up, Kennedy?"**

**"Asshole," Leon muttered, rolling backwards and jumping to his feet. So much for the temporary euphoria, he thought sourly. Aloud, he said, "Weak, Hansen, weak. You're going to have to do better than that."**

**"Will do," Tom said much too cheerfully.**

**Leon braced himself as his friend came at him in a rush. Tom's arms encircled his waist in a classic take-down, and Leon brought both fists down between his shoulder blades. Tom dropped to one knee, grabbed both of Leon's legs, and jerked them out from under him. Once again, Leon found himself flat on his back, this time with Tom's survival knife wedged under his chin.**

**"Now _that_ brings back memories," Bruce said from the sidelines, causing everyone to laugh. "Although Fong Ling had a gun, not a knife."**

**Billy raised one dark eyebrow. He'd heard more than he'd ever wanted to about Bruce's spy girlfriend. "I'm almost looking forward to meeting your girl, McGivern." **

**Ark opened his mouth to speak when a flash of red caught his eye. His gaze moved to the tall glass windows at the rear of the room, where a certain red-clad woman was now holding a laser-sighted .9 millimeter on Tom Hansen. "Speaking of, I think we're finally going to meet Leon's."**

**Ada smiled pleasantly as all eyes in the room turned to her. She kept her own gaze on the man currently holding a knife to her lover's throat, and the little red dot that was trained on his on navy STRATCOM t-shirt--just over his heart. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to put the knife away, Agent Hansen."**

**Leon scowled at her, his too-blue eyes narrowing, too angry at her dramatic entrance to be pleased by her presence. "He's not hurting me," he all but growled at her. "This is _not _necessary, Ada."**

**"I'm sure it's not," Ada said, her husky voice cool. "Still, I must insist. Agent Hansen?"**

**Tom's eyes searched hers as he gauged the seriousness of her request, and he was surprised to find fear lurking in their sapphire-blue depths. Mixed with it, however, was a cold resolve he knew all too well. If he didn't get rid of the knife, she would shoot him. She might not kill him, but she would definitely hurt him. He wondered if Leon knew how lucky he was, to have someone who was willing to kill to protect him.**

**"It's gone," he assured her quietly, sheathing the knife with slow, careful movements. He rose to his feet and pulled Leon to his before stepping back. His friend looked pissed, and he didn't want to get in the middle of this one. "Ada Wong, I presume?"**

**"The same." Ada smiled charmingly as she holstered her gun and crossed the room on five-inch stiletto heels. "And you're Tom Hansen."**

**Tom smiled faintly. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he told her honestly. "Welcome aboard."**

**One sable brow flew up at that. "Thank you--I think." She came to a stop before Leon, who was looking angrier by the minute. "You don't look too happy to see me, handsome. Is there a problem?"**

**Leon shook his head, too pissed to respond. Six days with no fucking word, and then she shows up out of the blue, and threatens to shoot one of his best friends. "What could possibly be wrong?" he snapped, sarcasm dripping from his words. "You only threatened to shoot my sparring partner."**

**"You think I overreacted, then?" Ada stifled the urge to laugh at the dark look he cast her. She shrugged, crossing her arms in a habitual gesture. "Sorry, Leon. He's no Krauser, but he_ is_ dangerous. I was just--"**

**"Saving your ass," Bruce cut in dryly, adding, "Don't worry, sweetness, he's used to it."**

**"Shut up, Bruce!" Leon made a frustrated sound and resisted the urge to give Ada a good shake. He'd probably end up on his ass if he tried, and the last thing he wanted was a physical confrontation with the woman. **

**_At least, not a violent one, _a voice in the back of his head whispered insidiously. Leon pushed the thought away and concentrated on calming himself down. He was not going to have any kind of confrontation with Ada Wong in front of his four closest friends. **

**"I'm going to take a shower," he announced shortly. "Ada, if you can refrain from shooting any of my men, you're welcome to stay."**

**Ada watched him stomp out of the room with ill-concealed concern. "Has something happened that I don't know about?" **

**She threw the question out randomly, surprising everyone but Billy. "No," he answered, ignoring the surprised looks he received. "He's just in a foul mood today."**

**She nodded, her cobalt eyes lingering on the doorway before meeting his. "And how are you, Lieutenant Coen?"**

**"Fine," he answered curtly, hating that she was putting him in this position. He didn't like lying to Leon's friends, even if it was only by omission. "It's about time you let the rest of STRATCOM meet you. To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"**

**"I felt it was time," Ada said with another shrug. "After all, I knew that _you_ couldn't be the team's highlight."**

**Bruce started laughing at her words. "You're damned lucky he didn't shoot you the first time you broke in," he told her. "He carries an arsenal with him everywhere, you know."**

**"Yes, I _did_ notice that, Agent McGivern," she returned mildly. She looked at the deceptively young-looking man beside him and smiled. "You must be Ark Thompson, the man who survived the Sheena Island outbreak."**

**Ark nodded, his blue eyes widening slightly. "I hadn't realized that Leon had told you so much about us," he said in a low voice.**

**"He didn't." Ada smiled mysteriously, wishing that Leon were there to appreciate the gesture. "I have my sources, Agent Thompson. I know a great deal about all of you."**

**"Yeah, that's gonna comfort them," Billy muttered under his breath.**

**"I'm not here to comfort _them_," she said with a husky laugh.**

**"No, you're here strictly for Lee." Tom's expression was somber as he met her gaze. "How much do you know about me, Miss Wong?"**

**"It's Ada," she told him, adding, "Not much. Only what's been declassified."**

** Tom eyed her for a long moment before inclining his head. He wasn't sure if he believed her, but if Leon trusted her, it was enough. "Lee takes long showers," he offered suddenly. "If you hurry, you might just catch him--Ada."**

**Ada smiled slowly, ignoring the dimples that accompanied Hansen's answering grin. He was good-looking enough, but nowhere near as pretty as Leon Kennedy. "Thank you, Agent Hansen. If you'll excuse me. . ."**

**She left the room, swaying in a way only possible in ankle-breaking shoes. The other members of STRATCOM might not trust her, but they were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was nice to see how normal people lived, she thought fleetingly. It wasn't something she'd ever experienced herself.**

**Ada slipped quietly into Leon's bedroom, smiling slowly as she heard running water. She'd have to remember to thank Hansen for the encouragement, she thought as she crept into the large bathroom. It was thick with steam, but she didn't need to see to find Leon Kennedy. Sometimes, she felt that she could almost _sense_ him, wherever he happened to be. When he was in danger, she just knew, and always rushed to save him. If anything ever happened to him, her life would come to an abrupt and welcome end. She didn't want to survive if it meant living in a world without him.**

**She pulled the red dress over her head and left it to pool carelessly on the cold tile floor. The shoes and her holster quickly followed, along with the black ribbon she wore around her neck. She stepped up to the shower door and slowly pushed it open, her beating an uneven tattoo in her chest. Leon whirled around, his oh-so-blue eyes widening, and she stepped inside.**

**"Got room for me?" she drawled suggestively, even as she slid the door closed.**

**"Always," Leon told her deeply, even as he reached for her. He shuddered as her body met his, his arms tightening convulsively around her. Just like that, his anger was gone, banished by the feel of Ada Wong in his arms. "Where the hell have you been, honey? I was worried sick about you."**

**"Trying to get back to you," she murmured before fitting her mouth to his.**

**Leon groaned and gave in to her, knowing that she hadn't really answered him, but beyond caring. Soon, they'd have their talk, he promised himself. For now, he just wanted to enjoy what little time he had with her, before real life reared it's unwanted--and ugly--head.**

**Billy sat in the living room with the other members of STRATCOM, watching a re-run of an old Super Bowl. He was bored as hell, but he wasn't going to say anything. The guys were enjoying themselves, despite the abrupt withrawl of their host, and they weren't giving him any shit. That's all he really cared about. They let him sit in the recliner and nurse his beer, and for the most part, they left him the fuck alone.**

**A loud thump from the second floor brought all eyes to the ceiling, and Billy smiled a little. Ada and Leon had finally hooked up, and he'd never seen the Asian spy happier. As for Leon, he'd spent three days walking around with a grin. At least, until he realized that Ada wasn't going to call. Only then had his mood darkened.**

**"Damn!" Bruce was smirking at the ceiling. "I didn't think Leon had it in him."**

**"I don't think it's in him, Bruce," Tom said mildly.**

**"No," Ark chimed in, "it's probably the other way around."**

**Bruce snorted, trying to control his laughter. "God, I hope so!"**

**Billy had to laugh at that one. He couldn't help himself. It reminded him of his days with the Marines, before his commander had gone stark-raving mad and decided to slaughter an entire African village. His smile disappeared completely at the thought, and he wished that he could find a way to just forget what had happened eleven years ago. He hated that nearly every thought he had circled back to either _that_, or Rebecca Chambers.**

**Damn her! he thought as he had countless times over the years. Why hadn't she waited for him? Why had she hooked up with _him_ so soon after they'd been separated? How could she have forgotten all that they had gone through together so damn easily? Hadn't he meant anything to her?**

**Billy shook his head and pushed himself to his feet. He stomped to the balcony door and let himself outside. He shivered as he closed the door and leaned against the railing. It was cold as hell in D.C. in October, but he wasn't going to bitch. At least, he wasn't alone, as he had been so often in the last eight years. **

**Leon had used his government contacts to keep track of him, and had called whenever he could, always with an apology for the slow-moving investigation. Billy hadn't blamed the other man. He was damn grateful that Leon had even bothered to look into his story, much less tried to clear his name. He owed that man his life, such as it was. Of course, he owed Ada Wong, too.**

**Billy sighed at the thought. Ada might have offered her help because of his ties to Leon Kennedy, but she had become a friend, as well. He wished that he could come clean with Leon and tell him everything, but it was too damned risky. Leon might not understand, and Billy wasn't going to risk the younger man's friendship, or the lives of the others involved. There was more to consider here than his own guilty conscience.**

**He remembered little Sherry Birkin, the smallest twelve-year-old he'd ever seen. God, she'd been scrawny, he thought with a laugh, but damned cute. When she had approached him in that park, he'd been prepared to run like hell. Then, he had recognized the man with her from his race through Raccoon City.**

**He'd seen a blond man in a R.P.D. uniform running around Raccoon City about nine-thirty that night, being attacked after stopping to check on a woman lying in the street. He had quickly been surrounded by zombies, and Billy had fired a few shots from his hiding spot in a nearby building. The man hadn't realized he had help until Billy had told him, and they had become friends then, bonded by the horror of their shared experiences with the Umbrella Corporation.**

**To this day, Leon blamed himself for Sherry's disappearance. It didn't matter that some asshole government agents had pretty much kidnapped them both, or that those same agents had held a gun to his head, letting the kid be abducted. He felt that he should have been able to do something--anything--to save the girl he had claimed as his own.**

**Billy sighed heavily, wishing that he could do something to help Leon, to reassure him that his daughter was all right. But you can't, he reminded himself brutally. You can't do a damn thing but wait for the time when Wesker leaves himself vulnerable.**

**So far, that hadn't happened, and it sickened him that he couldn't do more. Leon was a genuinely good person. He didn't deserve all that had befallen him, or his loved ones. Unfortunately, God had a really warped sense of humor, and Leon Kennedy seemed to be one of his favorite pastimes.**

**"Shit," Bruce said as Billy stormed out of the room. "What's up with Coen?"**

**Tom shrugged his broad shoulders. "He's not the most sociable person in the world, Bruce. You know that."**

**"Duh," the other man said facetiously. **

**"Do you think he's jealous of Leon and _her_?" Ark asked seriously.**

**"No, I don't, Ark." Tom leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "Coen is obviously used to Ada sneaking in and out of the house. He was almost _nice_ to her today."**

**"Yeah, that was weird," Bruce agreed. "He almost seemed to, well, _like_ her."**

**Ark nodded his dark head. "I noticed that, too."**

**Tom glanced out the window, where the man in question stood motionlessly, seemingly oblivious to the cold weather. "He sees something in her that we don't, guys. Maybe, it's the same thing that Lee sees. I don't know."**

**"I think she's trouble," Ark stated flatly.**

**"Oh, she's definitely that," Tom said with a small smile. "She would've had no qualms shooting me, if she'd believed that I was a genuine threat to Lee. I'm damn lucky she gave me any warning at all."**

**"And that doesn't bother you?" Ark asked doubtfully. "Knowing that Leon's girl could kill you without blinking an eye?"**

**He shook his head negatively. "She cares about him, Ark. Maybe even loves him. I think he's damned lucky to have her," he added in a murmur.**

**Bruce made an inarticulate sound of agreement. "She kind of reminded me of Fong Ling," he said with a smile. "You know that she used a grenade to save me from Morpheus."**

**"Yes, Bruce," Ark said, rolling his eyes, "we know."**

**Tom laughed as Bruce gave Ark the finger. "When does she arrive?" he asked, more to distract him than anything else.**

**"Tomorrow morning at ten," Bruce answered, his smile widening. "You want to go with me to the airport?"**

**"I think I'd only be in the way," Tom said in dryly. "I don't want to end up walking home from your place, again."**

**Bruce had the grace to flush at that. "I really am sorry about that, Tom. Fong was just. . .very happy to see me."**

**"I could tell," Tom chuckled. "Why don't we stick to dinner tomorrow night. Maybe, Lee will bring Ada along."**

**"That would be interesting," Bruce said, his expression brightening. "Ada's got some Chinese in her, right? I bet they'd have a lot to talk about."**

**"If they don't kill each other," Ark mumbled worriedly. "Having two strong-willed, outspoken, drop-dead gorgeous women in the same room usually isn't a good idea."**

**"Maybe, we'll get really lucky," Billy said from the doorway, "and they'll tear each other's clothes off for us."**

**"A catfight?" Tom questioned humorously.**

**"Why not?" Billy asked with a shrug. "I haven't seen one in years."**

**Bruce sighed. "God, I'd love to see that!"**

**"Fong Ling is so going to kill you," Ark told him, wide-eyed.**

**"It would almost be worth it, Ark."**

**"Stick with the 'almost', Bruce," Tom warned him. "Otherwise, Lee will save Fong Ling the trouble."**

**Bruce scowled at that. "And he could do it, too," he grumbled. "Well, that nixes that idea."**

**"Thank God!" Ark said with feeling. "My kid's are going to be there, asshole. I don't want them seeing that kind of stuff."**

**He snorted. "I have a feeling Lott wouldn't mind in the least."**

**"Christ." Ark dropped his head in to his hand. "You are a bad influence on my son, McGivern."**

**"There's a reason I'm his favorite uncle," Bruce pointed out smugly.**

**"Then, why is Billy his second-favorite?" the other man asked archly.**

**"Because I listen to him," Billy said in a low rumble. "You're his father, so he can't talk to you about certain stuff. Bruce doesn't take anything seriously, and he spoils him, so he's just fun. I'm the one who gets stuck with the serious shit."**

**"And you don't spoil him." Ark eyed the unpredictable man with wary blue eyes. "The attention doesn't bother you?" **

**Billy shook his head, smiling another of his flat smiles. "He's a good kid, Ark. He's just in a hurry to grow up. That's why he's always picking fights with you," he told him. "He's testing himself against _you_, because you're the most important male influence in his life.**

**"When will he be done?" Ark asked, only half-teasing. "I can't take much more of his crap."**

**"He turns eighteen soon, right?" At his nod, Billy shrugged. "He's itching to get out on his own. He doesn't realize just how hard the real world is. Just leave the door open," he added gravely. "Let him know that he always has a home with you."**

**Tom was eyeing him speculatively. "Had a few problems with your old man, huh?"**

**"Something like that." Billy snatched the remote control off the coffee table and settled back in the recliner. "No more football, boys. This shit's boring the hell out of me."**

**Tom settled back with a smile as Bruce immediately began to protest. Billy had put up with nearly two hours of football, even though he hated it, to keep the peace. He was doing his best to get along with them, even though he was only doing it for Leon's sake. Bruce could bitch all he wanted, but Billy could watch whatever the hell _he_ wanted. After all, he was the one that lived here.**

**The noise from the second floor finally stopped, and Tom laughed quietly to himself. It was good to Leon living some semblance of a normal life, instead of shutting himself away in this ivory tower of his. Life was too short, and much too unpredictable. You had to live it while you could, because you never knew when it was all going to come crashing down. Fate could be a real bitch that way, and usually was. **

**Ada lay in the center of the big bed, her body boneless and replete, even as the man at her side began to stir. She smiled somewhat smugly at the dazed expression in his crystalline eyes, because she knew that she was the one responsible for putting it there. "So," she asked in a throaty voice, "are you through being angry with me?"**

**Leon lifted his head slightly, at the tangle of damp sheets currently twisted around his legs, and laughed gruffly. "God, I'd better be," he groaned with feeling. "I don't have enough energy left to be pissed at anyone."**

**She laughed and propped her head up on one hand, her dark blue eyes trained on his too-handsome features. "You were worried about me," she murmured, laying a delicate hand on his chest. "That's why were you so angry, isn't it?"**

**He hesitated, not wanting to answer that particular question. "In part," he said on a sigh, knowing that he had to be honest with her. He turned on his side to face her, taking her hand in his own. "Another part of me was afraid that you'd got what you wanted, and that you weren't coming back."**

**She frowned at that, not sure if she should be insulted or not. "What I wanted," she repeated tonelessly.**

**Leon winced. "Ada--"**

**"One night does not make up for eight years of wanting you, Leon." Ada pulled her hand away and slowly sat up, doing her best not to let his words hurt her. "You should know me better than that."**

**"How?" he asked her in a too-quiet voice. "I only know what you show me, Ada." **

**"I told you how I felt about you," she whispered angrily over her shoulder, "back in Raccoon City."**

**"You also failed to tell me that you were still alive. Didn't you think I'd want to know?" Leon watched the willowy line of her back stiffen with dread. It looked like the talk he'd been avoiding had finally come. "Shit."**

**He pushed himself into a sitting position and reached for his underwear. The last thing he wanted was to have this conversation, which would probably ruin whatever was forming between them. Dammitt, he'd wanted more time with her! **

**Leon raked a hand through his hair and resisted the urge to pull her close. He would never get anything out of her if he let her seduce him, again. "Why are you here, Ada?"**

**Ada cursed silently at the determination in deep voice. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" she asked with resignation.**

**"No," he answered with genuine regret, "I can't."**

**"Fine." She shrugged as casually as she could and rose gracefully to her feet. "It was your call, lover, not mine."**

**Leon watched her leave the room with a heavy heart. He'd known, he reminded himself, just what her response would be if he pressed her. She came out of the bathroom moments later, her expression unreadable as she tied the familiar black ribbon around her slender throat. The provocative red dress was wrinkled from being trampled into floor, and her hair was a tangled mess, but her disheveled appearance in no way detracted from her beauty. If anything, it enhanced it.**

**Ada leaned against the wall opposite of the bed and crossed her arms in an instinctively self-conscious gesture. "Ask your questions," she told him, ignoring his startled expression. "I'll answer what I can."**

**"Okay," Leon said slowly, unable to contain his surprise. He drew a deep breath and masochistically threw out the one question guaranteed to drive her away. "Tell me why you were working for Albert Wesker in Spain?"**

**Her sapphire eyes flickered, the only sign of her displeasure. "He sold his services, and whatever he could steal from Umbrella, to The Agency."**

**He nodded slowly, shocked that she had actually given him a straight answer. "The same organization that employs you."**

**"Yes." Ada kept her gaze locked on his, even as a part of her cringed at what he was forcing her to do. "He moved through the ranks quickly, and passed every test thrown at him. But our superiors have grown suspicious of his intentions in the last few years. He's made contacts within several bioweapons manufacturing firms, and small samples of the Umbrella virus' have disappeared from several biohazard centers around the world since he joined us."**

**"Like the sample stored in the in police precinct in Madrid," Leon murmured thoughtfully, remembering Luis Sera's words back in Spain.**

**"Exactly. I was ordered to work with him, but to bring the Las Plagas sample back to my superiors. Which I did," she added with a touch of defiance. "The sample I gave Wesker was a fake, something The Agency had sent along just for that purpose."**

**Leon closed his as relief rushed through him. She hadn't given the sample to Wesker, as he had feared. Her mystery organization wasn't much better, but at least they hadn't used any of the biohazardous materials to create another Raccoon City! **

**"Why--" he cleared his throat and tried again. "Why didn't you tell this before?"**

**"Because I didn't want you involved," Ada told him bluntly. "Wesker ordered me to eliminate you in Spain. When I didn't, he sent Krauser after you."**

**"Why does he want me dead?" Leon asked with surprise. "I'm no threat to him."**

**"Oh, Leon." She sighed at his naiveté, even though his moral innocence had always appealed to her. "You're a survivor of his biggest failure, and he doesn't like being reminded of it."**

**"Raccoon," Leon said flatly. At her nod, he let out a harsh breath. "I knew he hated Chris and the rest of S.T.A.R.S., but I didn't know that he had it in for me, too."**

**Ada smiled sadly. "I've spent eight years keeping Wesker away from you, Leon. My organization doesn't care what I do with my off-time, as long as it doesn't interfere with my job. As far as I'm concerned, _you_ are my mission, and I don't intend to fail you."**

**"Christ, Ada!" He swallowed hard as he heard the meaning behind those resolute words. Ada Wong didn't just care for him--she was in love with him! "I--I don't know what to say."**

**"It's okay, handsome. I don't expect anything from you." Ada cocked her head to one side and managed a slow smile. "Except what you've already given me, of course. I certainly expect more of _that_."**

**Leon laughed involuntarily. "Ada. . ." his smile died as rose to his feet. He extended his hand, his voice gruff, as he said, "Come here, honey."**

**Ada raised one raven brow even as she stepped forward and slid her hand into his. Leon was going to comfort _her_? He pulled her against him, his arms winding around her, and she closed her eyes. Suddenly, she didn't care that he didn't love her, and probably never would. It was enough that he was here with her now, and that he didn't hate her--yet.**

**"I know that you don't trust me," she murmured huskily, "and I can't blame you for your feelings. Just know that everything I've done since Raccoon City, I have done for you."**

**"I believe you." Leon tightened his hold and closed his eyes. He lowered his cheek to her sleek cap of black hair and sighed heavily. He didn't want to ask the next question, but he had to know. "I have one more question, Ada."**

**She lifted her head, her stunning features more peaceful than he had ever seen them. "Anything, Leon. Just ask."**

**"Thank you." He stroked her cheek with one hand, his face reflecting his reluctance. "I know I've asked this before, but I need to know. Ada, I need you to tell me whatever you know about what happened to Sherry." **

**Ada sighed at the not unexpected question, and fought the urge to give him what he so desperately wanted. There was more at stake here than he would ever know. She couldn't risk everything she'd worked so hard for just to please the man she loved. His life wasn't the only one that hung in the balance of Wesker's crooked scales.**

**"I don't know," she answered at length, forcing herself to meet his gaze as she uttered the lie would ultimately cost her everything she held dear. "All I've heard are unsubstantiated rumors concerning your daughter. I've never been able to confirm them. I'm sorry," she added with just the right touch of awkwardness.**

**Leon only nodded, sorrow tingeing his smile. "It's alright, honey. I'm sorry I had to ask, again."**

**"Don't be." She brushed her lips over his and attempted to lighten the mood. "I seem to be wearing too many clothes. Think you could help me with that, lover?"**

**His sculpted lips curved into the predatory smile she was quickly coming to love. "I think that could be arranged," he murmured, his hands finding the laces on the back of her dress. His hands slid beneath the fabric, causing her to gasp, and he laughed wickedly. "Lose the gun, honey. You won't be needing it here."**

**Ada returned the smile and slowly let the dress slid down her body. She reached for the holster encircling her right thigh and unfastened it. It fell to the floor with a dull sound, followed by the lighter clatter of her shoes as she kicked them behind her. She reached for the ribbon and he stilled her, pulling her hand away.**

**"Leave it," he told her silkily, pulling the ends over one bare shoulder. "I have plans for that ribbon."**

**"Really?" Ada let him pull her to the bed, grinning as he immediately pulled her under him. "Anything I should be worried about?"**

**"Uh-uh," he muttered softly, lowering his lips to hers. "You'll enjoy it, honey. I promise."**

**"I can't wait," she whispered just before his mouth obliterated all thought.**


	4. Chapter 4

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Leon (sigh) or any of the other characters in the work below. **

**Synopsis: This is another Leon fic. I've added characters from Survivor and Dead Aim, because they're rarely used, and Bruce interests me (even if his nemesis was an anime-villain reject). S.T.A.R.S. will make an appearance, because it's not Resident Evil without them. Any characters from any other games are there because I liked the characters, but this is NOT a crossover. **

**RESIDENT EVIL: BROKEN**

**Chapter Four: October 7, 2006**

**The muted chirp of her PDS roused Ada from a deep sleep. She reached towards the nightstand, frowning as her hand met only smooth wood. She swung her legs off the bed, her dark blue eyes sweeping the room. She spied her leg-holster lying under Leon's dresser and laughed to herself. For the first time since being issued it by The Agency, she had completely forgotten to keep the communicator close. She blamed Leon, of course. No other man had ever been able to distract her in such a way, so it must be his fault.**

**She retrieved it and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She spied Leon's bathrobe hanging from a hook on back of it and quickly pulled it on. It wouldn't do to talk to her superiors--or anyone else--in the nude. She turned on the PDS and traced the last call. Her lips tightened with displeasure when she saw who it was that had contacted her. At this moment, she would much rather talk to Albert Wesker than the man she would soon be dealing with.**

**The PDS chirped once again, and Ada smoothed her hair down before answering it. A man's face appeared on the screen, a red bandana covering his short brown hair, aviator-style sunglasses covering his eyes. His face was study in sculpture, all sharp planes and angles. He was handsome enough, she thought dispassionately, but he was also a complete prick. **

**"Wesker's tightened security at the facility," he informed her in a cold voice. "The module is being altered, possibly for transport. The Agency thinks he's finally getting ready to bolt."**

**"Wonderful." Ada's eyes narrowed as she contemplated his words. "How long do we have?"**

**"A day, two at most. The Agency is sending a team in to stop him, but we both know how that's going to end."**

**"They'll be slaughtered," she stated unnecessarily. **

**He nodded, his expression arrogant. "Exactly. We have to accelerate our own plans, as a consequence. I'll gather the others and meet you at H.Q. I've already informed Coen, and he says he's game, so the rest is up to you. You need to prepare your boy for this, Ada," he added warningly.**

**Ada froze at his words. "There's no reason to bring Leon into this," she told him smoothly. "We can do this without STRATCOM."**

**"Possibly," he countered with a humorless quirk of his lips, "but that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Explain the situation to him, Ada. We both know that he'll jump at the chance to go after Wesker. We need all the help we can get, so talk to him."**

**"What about S.T.A.R.S.?" she asked abruptly. "If Wesker's truly gone rogue, he'll go after them first. Have you contacted them? Have you even _tried_ to warn them?"**

**"Of course," he snapped, his cold mask slipping for the first time. "That's the first thing I did. I used Red's name, so I'm sure they'll show."**

**"It's only a matter of time, then," Ada murmured, resigning herself to the inevitable. "All right. I'll show the file to Leon, and inform you when he's made a decision."**

**"Smart girl." The man paused for a moment before slowly removing his sunglasses. "It's not that I don't understand, Ada. I do. But none of us have a choice here. We all have to make sacrifices to bring Wesker down."**

**She favored him with a mocking smile, ignoring his most unusual and telling feature. "You've never approved of my 'obsession' with Leon Kennedy."**

**"Maybe not, but I understand it. I'll give you three hours. Don't waste them."**

**The screen went blank, and she closed the PDS unit with an angry motion. She slid it back into the holster absently, her mind focused on what was about to happen. Wesker was preparing to betray The Agency and run with all of his data. His favorite pet project would be the first thing he secured, and she couldn't allow that happen. If he pulled this off, her objective would be forever beyond her reach. She couldn't take that chance. None of them could.**

**Ada sighed and crept into the bedroom. Light was just beginning to seep through the curtains, and she only had three hours. She approached the bed, shrugging out of the robe, and carefully scooted under the covers. Leon stirred, his arms coming around her and tugging her close.**

**"Good morning," he murmured sleepily, his welcoming smile breaking her heart.**

**"Morning." Ada brushed her lips over his, drawing back when he would have deepened the kiss. "I have to go soon, lover. Work calls."**

**Leon went still for a long moment, disappointment written clearly on his angelic features. "How long will you be gone?" he asked finally.**

**"A few hours, hopefully." She saw his surprise and couldn't stop a smile from forming. If it wobbled around the edges, neither were willing to mention it. "I'll contact you when I'm through, if you'd like."**

**"Yes," he told her gruffly, "I'd like."**

**His hold on her tightened, and Ada burrowed closer. This was the last time she would be here with him like this. After she brought the file on Wesker to him, it would be over. He would hate her as he hated few people, and she would have no defense against him. How could she possibly defend herself, when she had betrayed him with her very silence? He wouldn't understand the tightrope she had walked since her resurrection eight years ago, and even if he could, he would never be able to forgive her.**

**"Leon." She lifted her head and laid a hand along side his beloved face. "You know how I feel about you, don't you?"**

**Leon went still before slowly covering her hand with his. "Yes, I think I do," he answered cautiously. He gazed at her with wary blue eyes, waiting for her to continue. When she failed to do so, he was filled with concern. "What is it, honey? What aren't you telling me?"**

**Ada bit her bottom lip in an uncharacteristically nervous gesture. "Wesker might be on the move," she said at length, wincing at his immediate curse. "I don't know for sure, but I have to look into it."**

**"No," he groaned with denial, burying his face in her silky hair. "He's dangerous, Ada. I don't want you anywhere near him."**

**She clung to him, allowing herself this one--last--moment of weakness. "I won't get close to him, Leon. I just have to gather some information," she assured him, trying to convince herself that retrieving file sitting in the safe in her own bedroom could be counted as gathering intelligence. **

**"You'll be careful?" Leon asked her in a low voice, knowing that he couldn't stop her. For Ada, the mission always came first.**

**"Always." Ada forced herself to pull away, not wanting to see the trust in his too-blue eyes.**

**She dressed swiftly, pausing as she picked up the black ribbon that had inspired Leon so much. She walked over to the dresser and laid it there, daring to glance over her shoulder. Leon sat propped up against the headboard, a combination of heat and tenderness in his bright blue eyes as he watched her. She sent him a decidedly wicked smile and sauntered over to him.**

**"I'll miss you, handsome," she told him huskily, leaning down to kiss him for the last time. "I'll meet you here, just as soon as I can."**

**Leon smiled faintly as she straightened. "I have to work in a couple of hours, Ada."**

**She shook her head negatively. "Stay home today, Leon."**

**"Why?" he asked, instantly suspicious. "What aren't you telling me?"**

**Ada only shook her head a second time. "I'll explain everything once I return. Call in your team, Leon. They'll need to be here."**

**"Damn it, Ada!" Leon threw back the covers and leapt to his feet, completely uncaring of his nudity. "You can't throw out something like that and just walk away! Tell me what the hell is going on!"**

**"I can't!" she yelled, surprising them both with the outburst. She inhaled deeply and ruthlessly sought to suppress her emotions. She couldn't afford to lose control, now. "I have to go, Leon--now. I will meet you and your men _here_."**

**"Just what am I supposed to tell the President?" he demanded angrily. "What kind of excuse can I possibly give him for the absence of his most important protection team?"**

**"Tell him that have a possible line on Wesker. That should be enough to excuse you from your oh-so-important babysitting duties," Ada snapped, sarcasm lacing her words.**

**"Fine," he snapped right back, exasperated beyond belief. "But you'd better have a damn good explanation, Ada."**

**"Don't worry, I will." Ada opened the door and paused, unwilling to leave it like this. She half-turned to face him, her striking sapphire eyes locking on his, letting her feelings show for the first time in eight years. "I love you, Leon. Try to remember that when you think that you have reason to hate me."**

**He blinked, stunned by the whispered admission. She was gone before he recovered, leaving him staring the empty doorway, a sick feeling unfurling in his gut.**

**Ada approached the small house on silent feet, doing her best not to be observed. She was fairly certain that The Agency didn't have anyone watching her, but she couldn't be sure. If they ever discovered just what she and the others were up to, she would never know a safe moment again. Of course, if Wesker ever discovered just what she had done, she would simply disappear.**

**She pushed the thought away and circled around to the back of the house. She let herself in the backdoor, listening for sounds of movement. To her relief, she heard nothing. The prick hadn't sent anyone to hurry her along, for which she was infinitely grateful. The last thing she wanted to put up with right now was the pitying looks she knew she would receive. There would be time enough for _that_ later.**

**She climbed the stairs to the second floor, and entered her bedroom. She ignored the four-poster bed with the ornate woodwork and went straight to the bathroom. She took a hot shower and dressed swiftly, not in her usual scarlet finery, but in the plain black uniform she had worn in her early days with the organization.**

**She filled her tactical vest with ammunition and healing supplies, knowing that it probably wouldn't do any good. Wesker was nearly immortal, after all. If he was finally breaking free of all his self-imposed restraints, they were all severely screwed.**

**Ada smiled self-deprecatingly. The time she had spent watching over Leon had obviously had a detrimental effect on her vocabulary. The smile died a quick death as she thought of what was about to be set in motion. The lives of so many people depended on the death of Albert Wesker. If they failed...**

**She shuddered and went into the walk-in closet. She moved a large, delicate Chinese chest and lifted the plush carpet beneath it. A plain black panel stared up at her, a blinking red light beneath it, a single titanium handle protruding from the top. She set her hand on the scanner, and waited until the machine recognized her handprint.**

**The light turned to a solid green, and Ada grasped the handle. She lifted the safe's lid and set it aside. She lifted a black leather briefcase from it's depths, smiling faintly as she brushed her fingers over the initials near the handle. _J.M._ She shook her head and closed the safe, using her handprint to once again seal it. She hid it beneath the carpet and the trunk and rose to her feet.**

**This was is, Ada thought, surprised to realize that she was feeling a bit. . .nostalgic. She didn't let herself reflect on the past very often, but for a moment, allowed herself to remember what it had been like when her mother was alive. Meifeng had been both beautiful and delicate, a combination which had fascinated those around her, and had ultimately led to her death.**

**Her mother had spoken only Chinese in her home, unless her American benefactor was present. Ada could remember the cold, detached way her elderly father had looked at his only child, as though she were a genetic puzzle that his analytical mind couldn't quite comprehend. He hadn't visited very often, but when he did, her mother had lit up from within. **

**When he died, Meifeng had been utterly devastated. She had taken to her bed, and died three weeks later of a broken heart. At fifteen, Ada had found herself completely alone, except for her mother's relatives in China. As they had disowned Meifeng, they were less than thrilled to be saddled with her bastard child. **

**But she had shown them, Ada thought with satisfaction. She had excelled at all of her studies, managed to avoid the marriage they had arranged for her, while secretly taking a martial arts course. By eighteen, she had done enough research to know just who it was her father had worked for, and to uncover rumors of his murder at the hands of Albert Wesker.**

**She had left China behind and had gone to work for Umbrella's main competitor. Her obvious beauty, as well as her extraordinary control over her emotions, had made her an excellent candidate for their undercover department. She had buried her past under the name Ada Wong, and waited patiently for the day when she could take her revenge. That day had finally come.**

**She looked down at the briefcase with a cold smile. Yes, Leon would hate her when she showed him its contents, but she would find a way to live with that. She didn't have a choice. What she couldn't do was turn her back on this chance to avenge her parents. She would reunite Leon with his beloved daughter, and she would kill Albert Wesker. Then, her mission would be complete, and she could finally go home.**

**Leon paced the length of his living room, ignoring the curious stares of his teammates. Nearly three hours had passed since Ada had shocked him with her confession and walked out the door. He had done as she asked and brought STRATCOM here, to his _home _instead of STRATCOM Headquarters, after making his excuses to President Graham. They were all in full combat gear, a precaution in case Ada's information panned out, and they had to go after Wesker. All except for Billy, who had merely shrugged and said that he'd change if he needed to. Bruce had gone to the airport to pick up Fongling as planned, but he was not happy to have his time with her interrupted. Leon couldn't blame him there, but this took precedence over his lieutenant's love life.**

**He might finally be able to catch Albert Wesker, Leon thought, still in shock over the notion. He'd been looking for him for nearly eight years, ever since the former Umbrella researcher's men had stolen his adopted child from him. Now, he might have a chance to corner his bastard, and finally know just what had been done to Sherry. It was almost more than he could take in.**

**Although he hadn't admitted it, even to himself, he had despaired of ever finding her. He hadn't given up, but he'd begun to believe that she would be forever beyond his reach. If Ada could help him find a way to take Wesker down, he would at last have a shot at finding his daughter. Wesker was known to have kept detailed files while with Umbrella, and he doubted that had changed. Somewhere in those files, there had be some clue as to Sherry's whereabouts.**

**Leon only hoped that his daughter was still human, that Wesker hadn't used her as he had so many others for his inhuman experiments. She had been a twelve-year-old child when he stole her. She hadn't deserved any of what had happened to her. She was the most innocent of victims, and it sickened him to think of what she must have gone through in Albert Wesker's care.**

**The front door opened and he whirled around. He heard Bruce's voice in the hallway and was shocked at the disappointment that swept through him. Damn it, where the hell was she?!**

**"I'm back," Bruce announced unnecessarily as he entered the room. "Did we miss anything?" **

**"Not yet," Tom answered, sharing a smile with Ark at Leon's reaction. **

**"Good. I don't want to miss this," he declared with a grin. He gestured towards the slim Asian woman at his side. "You all remember Fongling?"**

**Fongling laughed at the chorus of "Yes" that came from each man, except for the tattooed stranger standing just outside the kitchen entrance. "You are all my favorite decadent American pigs," she told them with a smile. She turned around and added, "Except for you. You, I don't know."**

**Billy shrugged once. "No reason you should," he said flatly.**

**One black eyebrow shot up at the uncommunicative answer. She glanced at her lover, who rolled his blue eyes at her, but didn't respond. "_Don gua_," she muttered, unable to contain a smile at his pleased expression. She shook her head and turned to Leon, who looked more tense than she had ever seen him. "Will you do the honors, then?"**

**Leon smiled tightly. "This is Billy Coen, the newest addition to STRATCOM. Billy, meet the formidable Fongling."**

**"A pleasure," he responded in a tone that suggested it was anything but. **

**The smile she sent him was as false as his words. "I feel the same."**

**Billy laughed shortly as he ambled into the room, wishing that Ada would just show up and get this over with. He hated drama, and the suspense that preceded it. "She called you an idiot, Bruce," he tossed out casually.**

**Bruce nodded his tawny head, his smile widening. "I know, Billy. It's her pet name for me," he said in warm tones. "She meant it as a compliment."**

**"Mostly," Fongling added with a fond look in his direction.**

**Billy grunted and inclined his head. "Good to meet you, then," he muttered, throwing himself into the recliner.**

**Her dark eyes lingered on him speculatively. Bruce had mentioned that Billy Coen was an asshole who didn't like anyone but Leon. What he hadn't said was that the man was protective of the teammates he supposedly hated. Interesting, she thought, cataloguing the fact for future reference.**

**She took a seat on the large sofa and patted the seat beside her. Bruce sat next to her and immediately put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and almost wished she'd taken him up on his offer to join STRATCOM. Too often over the last eight years she had found herself missing him. She saw him only once or twice a year, and rarely for more than a few days at a time. He had asked her to move to America numerous times, but she had always declined. She hated that he lived in a country whose government was corrupt, yet she had come to see that her own was far from perfect. Perhaps, he would ask again one day, and she would say yes. She simply didn't know. **

**Speaking of governments. . .Fongling pulled her thoughts away from her personal life and concentrated on the matter at hand. She pulled a file out her trusty leather case and set it on the coffee table. Leon's pretty blue eyes followed the file, but he didn't to pick it up. "Don't get your hopes up," she told him gently. "None of this information has been confirmed."**

**Leon nodded curtly and forced himself to pick up the manila folder. He walked to the other side of the room and opened it. He scanned the first page, his blood running cold as he translated the foreign text. Confirmed or not, Wesker was rumored to have approached the largest government-run pharmaceutical company in China, although not directly. He'd been spotted by the secret police there several times in the last year, each time in close proximity to a high-ranking employee of this unnamed company. **

**And now Ada's employers believed that he was on the move. If he fled to a communist country, Leon would lose any chance of finding Sherry. That was a risk he simply couldn't take. It was time to take Albert Wesker down--for good.**

**He turned around, his youthful features hard. "This says nothing of his current whereabouts, Fong."**

**"That's because we don't know where he is," she told him apologetically. "We're still not sure how he got into the country undetected, let alone where he's hiding out."**

**"I might be able to help with that," a husky voice said from behind him.**

**Leon whirled around to find Ada standing not more than five feet away, just under the archway that led to the staircase. She walked towards him slowly, and he took the opportunity to study her. For the first time since he'd known her, she wasn't wearing her trademark red. Instead, she was wearing a black uniform similar to what they wore in STRATCOM--with high-heeled black boots, of course.**

**She came to a stop before him, the look in her eyes one of challenge, and he smiled slowly. "Body armor," he murmured silkily, reaching one hand out the trace the collar of her black survival vest. "I like it."**

**"Really?" Ada arched one sable brow, her heart breaking at his playful demeanor. She forced a smile to her lips and brushed her lips over his cheek, the one with the scar she felt so responsible for. She drew back slowly, savoring the moment, knowing that it would be the very last time he welcomed her touch. "I'll have to remember that."**

**Leon chuckled as she took a step back, his laughter dying as she held up an old leather briefcase. "What's this?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew.**

**"Every file The Organization has ever gathered on one Albert Wesker." He made no move to take it, and Ada set the briefcase down on the coffee table. She thumbed the combination lock and slowly opened it. "It's all there, Leon. Everything you never wanted to know about Wesker is in here."**

**Leon glanced down at the large stack of papers with dread. "Have you read it?" **

**"Yes," Ada answered, shrugging slightly. "Some of these reports are even mine."**

**He nodded, even as he knelt beside her. "Fongling says that's he's been spotted in China, meeting with some execs from their biggest pharmaceutical firm."**

**"Hhhmmm. China, you say?" Ada looked at the woman in question, a pretty young Chinese woman who was one of the deadliest agents the MSS had. Fongling was eying her with open astonishment, and Ada knew that she had recognized her. "Is there a problem?" she asked coolly.**

**She uttered on short sentence in her native Chinese, surprising everyone except Ada, who simply replied, "Thank you."**

**Bruce's cerulean gaze went from one to the other before settling on Ada. "Who's your mother?" he asked, explaining, "Fongling says that Ada looks just like her."**

**"No one important, Agent McGivern." Ada rose to her feet and wandered over to the patio window. "Read the reports, Leon. I'll answer whatever questions I can once you're done."**

**Leon gazed at her back, wishing that she hadn't put so much distance between them. He would've liked to her beside him for this. He sighed and looked down at the papers, then opened the first file. It held a detailed report of the original outbreak aboard the Ecliptic Express, and the Arkham Training Facility. He finished it and handed it to Billy, who read it without expression, before passing it to Ark.**

**He read through accounts of the Spenser Mansion incident, as well as the outbreaks on Rock Fort Island, and in Raccoon City itself. Sheena Island and the Spenser Rain episodes were briefly mentioned, and just as quickly passed on. They weren't what he was looking for, although Wesker was suspected to have a hand in all of them.**

**He came upon a report entitled, "Birkin, S.", and his heart stopped beating. He read through the file carefully, not missing anything, his anger mounting with each type-written word. Sherry Birkin, the beautiful little twelve-year old who had become the daughter he'd always wanted, was now an Umbrella-inspired Bioweapons project. Little progress had been made with her, as she had an immunity to the all known Umbrella virus', but she was still considered an active experiment.**

**And Ada had known, Leon thought as betrayal burned through him. As she'd said, some of these reports were hers, and they were the most damning. She had been fully aware of where his daughter was, and just what was being done to her, and she had said nothing. In fact, she had _lied_ to him when asked outright!**

**Now, he knew why she had moved away from him. She was probably afraid he'd wrap his hands around her pretty little neck and finish what he'd started in Spain! "You knew?" he asked, his voice was hoarse with suppressed fury as he slowly turned towards her. **

**Her back stiffened with tension even as she nodded in affirmation. "Yes," she replied simply.**

**Leon waited for her to turn around, and was enraged when she didn't. "Look at me," he commanded harshly, shoving the file at Billy and stalking towards her. He grabbed her arm and swung her around, forcing her to meet his gaze. "All this time, you knew where she was, and you never told me."**

**Ada winced inwardly at the accusation, though she kept her expression carefully blank. "I couldn't," she said, her tone quiet. "There was no way to free her. We had to wait until Wesker made a mistake, and left himself vulnerable."**

**"Bullshit!" He released her as though he couldn't bear touching her, his too-blue eyes narrowing furiously. "You could have told _me_, Ada. I would have--"**

**"Gotten yourself killed trying to free her," she finished for him. She shook her head negatively as she sought to explain her actions. "The Agency had a lot invested in Wesker. If he hadn't killed you for interfering, they would have. That's I chance I couldn't take, Leon."**

**_"Shit!"_ Leon took a step back, then another, afraid of what he would do if he didn't put some distance between them. "You lied to me, Ada. You knew how much finding Sherry meant to me, and still you looked me in the eye and lied every time I asked you about her. "**

**_Even this morning._ The words echoed unspoken between them, and Ada was the first to look away. "I had no choice," she told him, firm in her belief that she had done the only thing that she could. "If we had gone in any sooner, we would've all been killed, and then what would have happened to your daughter?"**

**He snorted, his disbelief obvious, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Try again, honey," he sneered, barely able to tolerate looking at her. "You weren't worried about me, you were worried about saving your own ass. You did the same thing that you always do. You looked out for number one, and left Sherry in that monster's hands!"**

**Ada closed her eyes as his words pierced her heart. She opened them with renewed determination, her gaze colliding with Billy's. She was astonished to find that she had to fight to keep the eye contact. He looked at her steadily, a hint of anger in his dark blue eyes, and she shook her head almost imperceptively. If he interfered here, Leon would know that he'd been involved in their little rebellion, and Billy would lose the only person he truly gave a damn about. That would devastate him, and it simply wasn't worth it. It was better if all of Leon's anger was focused on her, where it truly belonged.**

**"This wasn't my call, Leon." She ignored the myriad of eyes on them as she met his beautiful, hate-filled gaze once again. "There is more at stake here than just your daughter. The lives of many people depend on us doing this right, and making sure that Albert Wesker dies."**

**Leon didn't respond, just continued to stare at her with a combination of hurt and fury. She had just handed him everything he needed to take Wesker down, and get his daughter back, and he couldn't thank her for it. If anything, he wanted to _hurt_ her, because she had sat on this information for eight fucking years!**

**"Who else is involved?" Tom asked into the quiet.**

**Ada glanced in the direction of that soft-spoken question and shrugged. "A small group of people who have had their lives destroyed by Albert Wesker," she answered vaguely. **

**Tom nodded slowly, even as he pondered the brief look she and Billy had shared. Obviously, the other man knew more about this than he should, and Ada didn't want him talking. Probably because of Lee's reaction to _her_ involvement. If he was this angry with her because she had remained silent, what he do to Billy, in whom he had placed so much trust?**

**Judging by the suspicion etched into Leon's expression, he had also caught the subtle exchange, and he wasn't happy about it. Damn, Tom thought sadly, this wasn't going to end well. Lee wasn't a forgiving man.**

**Fongling was shaking her head, feeling for Leon and what he was going through. "You can't tell us more than that?" she asked the other woman sharply.**

**"No," Ada answered. "Most of the names wouldn't mean anything to you, my dear. But they would be recognized instantly by STRATCOM."**

**"That's not much of an answer," Ark was saying, his big blue eyes showing mistrust as he gazed at Ada Wong.**

**"No, it's not." Ada smiled faintly at his look of surprise. She pulled a slip of paper out of her weapons vest and laid it on the coffee table. "If you want answers, come to this address. We're meeting there, along with S.T.A.R.S."**

**"S.T.A.R.S.?!" Leon exclaimed harshly, thinking of his friends, and all Wesker had taken from them. "Why did you involve them?"**

**"Because they have a stake in this, too." She took the papers out of the briefcase, set them aside, and closed it. "You have all of the information you need, except for the location of Wesker's research facility. If you want that, you'll come to the meeting. Otherwise, we'll do this without STRATCOM."**

**"Why did you come to us in the first place?" Bruce asked in an atypically somber tone. "Why didn't you tell Leon all this in private?"**

**"Because I wasn't given a choice," Ada said with just a touch of bitterness. "I'm not calling the shots on this one. If I'd had my way, we would have gone in without any of you, and rescued the child on our own."**

**"You would have left me out of this?" Leon demanded angrily. "She's _my_ daughter, Ada!"**

**"And keeping you alive is _my_ mission," she returned simply. She tapped the empty briefcase against her leg, the only outward sign of her unsettled emotions. "Whether you're there or not, we're going in tonight. Your daughter will be returned to you, Leon, one way or the other. There's a good chance that most of us won't make it out," she added in a quiet voice. "There's no reason for to risk your life and the lives of your men. Let us handle this."**

**"No!" he said emphatically, ignoring the subtle plea underlying her words. "STRATCOM will there, Ada. Tell whoever you're working for now to expect us."**

**"If that's the way you want it." Ada shrugged, feigning an indifference that she was far from feeling. She flashed him the mysterious smile that she knew he hated and waved carelessly. "See you around."**

**Leon watched her walk away, using the front door for the first time, and made a frustrated sound. "Bitch," he muttered under his breath. **

**He ran his hands through his golden hair and took a deep breath, trying to force his anger away so that he could think clearly. It didn't work. Ada had betrayed him for the last time, he promised himself. Never again would he let himself fall for her lies. As far as he was concerned, the woman he had cared so much for was dead. She had died in Raccoon City, a victim of William Birkin and Umbrella Inc..**

**He raised his head, and met each one of his men's gazes. "This mission is strictly voluntary," he told them roughly. "I won't ask any of you to risk your lives for me or my daughter."**

**"Yeah, right, Leon." Bruce's cerulean eyes glinted as they met his. "I'm your second-in-command. You're not doing this without me."**

**Ark nodded in solemn agreement. "STRATCOM's a team, Leon. We go in together, and we leave no one behind."**

**Leon smiled faintly. "Tom?"**

**"I'm with you," Tom said simply.**

**"Are you sure?" he asked, utterly serious. "I know you still have nightmares from--"**

**"We all have nightmares, Lee." Tom shrugged, his bright blue eyes veiled. "At least, these B.O.W.s won't be carrying weapons like the Exocels did."**

**"True." Leon turned to Billy, who's fine features were completely expressionless. "What about you, Billy? Are you up for this?"**

**Billy's smile was slow and cold. "I've been waiting eight years for a shot at Wesker, Leon. If you had chosen to let Ada handle it, I'd have gone to the meeting without you."**

**Leon's gaze sharpened on his, disturbed by the other man's casual use of Ada's first name, and the meaningful look they had exchanged earlier. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked slowly, hoping like hell that his suspicions were wrong.**

**"Not really, but I suppose that it's time." Billy rose to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. Ada might have been willing to take all of Leon's hatred, but he _knew _what keeping this secret had cost her. And he wasn't a liar. If she could take the risk, so could he. "After the government came for you, Ada paid me a visit. Gave me some money, and took me to an Agency safe house. She said that because I was important to _you_, she would do everything she could to help me."**

**"I know that you did all you could," he continued. "I owe you for my very freedom, but I owe Ada just as much. I've lost count of the times the military found me, or I was recognized by a cop and taken into custody. Each time, Ada would show up and break me out. She even healed me a few times when I'd been injured. Without her, I wouldn't have lived along enough to see my name cleared."**

**"And you never thought to mention any of this?" Leon fumed, stunned by the depth of his betrayal. **

**"Ada asked me not to," Billy said with a sigh. "She's been working on this for nearly eight years, Leon. She's been trying to find a way to get Sherry away from Wesker _alive_. This is the first opportunity she's had, and only because he's decided to move her."**

**Leon glared at him hotly, clenching his jaw to keep from punching someone he had--until only moments ago--considered a friend. "We'll discuss this later," he gritted out. "Suit up, Billy. Until this mission is over, you're still a member of STRATCOM."**

**Billy nodded curtly, unsurprised by the cutting words, or the implication behind them. It was what he had expected, after all. He snapped him a proper, if sarcastic salute, before shouldering his duffel bag and striding out of the room. **

**"Christ," Leon spat, snatching the scrap of paper that Ada had left off the coffee table. He looked at the address and began to laugh, the sound totally devoid of humor. "Of course," he mumbled to himself, "the bitch has been right under my nose the entire time."**

**Bruce traded concerned looks with Ark and Tom, not liking how this was playing out. Billy might be a jerk, but he was one of them. He was part of the team. Leon couldn't be serious about kicking him out of STRATCOM, could he?! **

**"Tell me that's just the anger talking?" he asked hopefully. "You didn't really mean that, did you, Leon?"**

**"Let it alone, Bruce," Leon snapped warningly.**

**"But he doesn't have anyone here else to go," Ark inserted in protest. "You told me that yourself, Leon."**

**"He should have thought of that before he lied to me," came the furious response.**

**Toms shook his head, his bright blue eyes full of reproach. "You're making a mistake, Lee." **

**Leon glared at him, unable to temper his response. "I'm in charge here, Tom. Stay out of it."**

**"Leon!" Fongling stood up, her hands on her hips, her expression one of disbelief. "This is not like you, my friend. You are too angry, and it clouding your judgment. Do not make any rash decisions that you will regret later."**

**He bit back angry words, knowing logically that she was right. But his trust had been violated, and he didn't know if he'd ever be able to forgive Billy for this, let alone be able to work with him again. "I'm sorry," he ground out stiffly. "I'm just a little. . .upset right now."**

**"And that is perfectly understandable," she said soothingly. She flashed him a sympathetic smile as she rose to her feet. "So, do you have room for one more agent on this mission?"**

**Leon managed a tight smile. "STRATCOM would be honored to work with you, Fongling."**

**She clapped her hands together. "Excellent."**

**Bruce grabbed her hand and pulled her back down beside him. "Welcome aboard, beautiful."**

**She threw her arms around him and proceeded to kiss him senseless. Leon turned away from the happy couple, images of he and Ada flashing through his mind. Anguish rose up in him, threatening to overwhelm him. He shoved it down, burying it deep, and took refuge in his rage. He couldn't deal with being hurt by yet another person he had cared for. If he survived this, there would be plenty of time to mourn. Until then, he couldn't afford to let himself be distracted this way. Sherry's life might very well depend on how well he controlled himself during this mission. He would _not_ fail her.**

**Billy shoved his clothes into two saddlebags, taking only what he'd need to survive a harsh D.C. winter on his own. He had no intention of coming back here after they killed Wesker. Reasoning with Leon would be a complete waste of time. The younger man had simply been hurt too many times, and he didn't have it in him to forgive anymore. He might feel bad about it, but that wouldn't stop him from tossing Billy out on his ass, and leaving him to fend for himself.**

**He'd known, Billy reminded himself bitterly, just what Leon's reaction would be if he was ever told the truth. It what he had feared, losing the younger man's friendship, and the place he had been granted in his life. Leon had other friends, normal people who genuinely cared about him. He certainly didn't need someone with Billy's problems hanging around, casting a dark cloud over what he'd managed to salvage from his life.**

**Leon had always insisted that he was a part of that life, but Billy had known better. He had run for too long, had seen too much, to let himself believe in fairy tales. He had been damned for nine years, and not even having his innocence proclaimed to the world could changed that. Once people heard his name, they tended to become nervous, eying him like they expected to be next on his kill list. The other members of STRATCOM still did it, and they'd known him for six months. **

**Hell, even the asshole that was coordinating this little suicide mission refused to believe that he was an innocent man. He rarely used Billy's name, instead referring to him as 'Killer' whenever they spoke. If it hadn't been for Leon and Ada, he would've walked away from this a long time ago. Yes, he wanted Wesker to pay for what he had done, but he hated putting up with that kind of treatment. He may have taken lives when he was a Marine, but he wasn't a killer, damn it!**

**"Fuck!" He plunged his hands through his too-long brown hair and kicked the bed in frustration. He felt a flashback coming on and fought it with everything he had. He had a job to do, and couldn't afford to let the past screw with him like this. "Take a deep breath, Coen, and calm the fuck down. You can handle this."**

**The moment passed, leaving Billy shaken but triumphant. He'd managed to fight another one off, he thought with tired satisfaction. He closed the saddlebags, pulled on his old leather jacket, and slung them over his shoulder. He grabbed the duffel bag which held his personal arsenal, grasping the small handles until his fingers ached. He glanced towards the bed, which was made with military precision, and his chest tightened painfully. His STRATCOM uniform had been carefully laid out, the weapons he'd been issued after joining placed carefully beside them. He'd be damned if he'd wait for a posthumous pink slip. If he wasn't a member of STRATCOM anymore, he'd die as himself, whoever the fuck that was. The unit would just have to go on without him.**

**Which shouldn't be a problem, he thought cynically. Bruce thought he was an asshole, Ark was a little afraid of him, and Tom simply didn't care one way or the other. They had only accepted him because Leon had asked them to. They'd probably be relieved once he was gone. No more putting up with his mood swings, or trying to play nice with him when they really couldn't care less. They'd replace him with someone who was more skilled, and had a more sociable personality. They would find someone who actually fit into their elite little clique, and all would be well for the government's best anti-Umbrella squad.**

**Billy left the room, slamming the door behind him to give the others a chance to pretend that they hadn't been talking about him in his absence. He stomped down the stairs, making as much noise as possible. If he couldn't sneak out of here with his dignity in tact, he'd at least go out with his head held high. **

**Leon's head came up as he entered the room, his clear blue eyes widening slightly. Billy had eschewed his STRATCOM uniform in favor of the civilian garb he'd dressed in that morning. Blue jeans, a black tshirt, and the ratty old leather jacket he'd been wearing when Leon first met him. He glanced down at the other man's feet and made a rough sound. Somehow, the worn, steel-toed black boots didn't surprise him. Billy had truly taken his words to heart. Now, it was up to Leon to decide if he'd really meant them.**

**"Where's your uniform?" he asked, unable to temper his harsh tone.**

**"Upstairs," came the short, uncommunicative answer.**

**Leon frowned at that. "Why aren't you in it, Billy?" **

**"I didn't see the point," Billy replied, his own voice carefully neutral. **

**"Damn it." Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, praying for patience. "You're still a member of STRATCOM, Billy."**

**"Yeah, and for how long?" Billy shook his head negatively, scowling as his hair slid into his eyes. He shoved it back impatiently, his midnight eyes narrowed, his expression set. "You're pissed off at me, Leon? You want to fire me?" **

**Leon glanced away guiltily. "Billy--"**

**"Forget it, Kennedy. I'll save you the trouble. I quit." He smiled thinly at the combination of shock and fury that leapt into the other man's eyes. "Have a nice life, kid." **

**He left the room quickly, ignoring the cacophony of voices that trailed in his wake. He sincerely doubted that anyone was protesting, and if they were, it was too late. They should've said something when Leon had first hinted at his dismissal, instead of waiting until it was a done deal.**

**Leon realized stared down at the paper in hand blindly, flinching as the front door was slammed hard. He barely heard his men as they all began to speak at once, protesting what Billy himself had set in motion. It didn't matter what decision he might have eventually made. Billy had chosen on his own, and a part of him was _relieved._ He simply couldn't deal with this right now.**

**"Are you all ready?" he asked abruptly, ignoring their obvious disapproval. "If you're still willing to do this with me, that is."**

**"Of course, we are," Bruce said, adding, "Just don't fire me, okay?"**

**Fongling frowned at him. "Bruce!" **

**"Excuse me." Ark reached past her and punched him in the shoulder. "Give it a rest already, McGivern."**

**"Who says I was kidding?" Bruce muttered, flashing him a baleful look as he rubbed his shoulder.**

**"Bruce--" Leon broke off, reigning in his temper. "Look, I'll talk to Billy later and fix this, alright? For now, I just want to get to Sherry, and get her away from that son of a bitch."**

**"We're with you." Tom checked his weapons one last and rose to his feet. He smiled crookedly, his dimples creasing on either side of his mouth. "I'm looking forward to meeting your daughter, Lee."**

**Leon smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Tom."**

**The other man merely lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug and turned to his teammates. "Let's do this, before Fongling's tourist visa expires."**

**Fongling laughed at that. "I _am_ here on business, Tom."**

**"And that's just what you told them at Customs, right?" he asked dryly.**

**"Of course," she responded, deadpan.**

**"Is this going to interfere with your mission?" Bruce asked her, his sculpted features grave. "I don't want to get you in trouble with your superiors."**

**"No," she told him in a quiet voice. She brushed her lips across his, drawing back with a solemn smile. "I've been thinking that life in China is not what it used to be. Perhaps, your decadent western country has room for one more immigrant?"**

**Bruce gazed at her with stunned blue eyes before grinning hugely. "Always," he told her, his voice hoarse emotion. He pulled to him and held her tightly, pressing a kiss to the side of her slender throat. "So, how about joining STRATCOM? We seem to have a sudden opening," he added pointedly.**

**Leon just sighed wearily and gave him the finger. "We'd be honored to have you, Fongling. Just be prepared to be fully debriefed. Our government's big on gathering intelligence."**

**She shrugged elegantly as she pulled away. "You do not interrogate defectors as we do," she said simply. "I will not betray my government, but I am not adverse to trading information that will not harm China."**

**"Good." Leon forced a smile to his lips, even as he felt like hitting someone. First Elza, then Ada and Claire, and now Billy. Everyone he'd ever loved had left him. Now, he had to risk the lives of the few friends that he had to rescue his daughter from a madman. If he survived this, he was going to have to reevaluate his life. Right now, he was going to kill Albert Wesker, and avenge all the innocents who had died at the hands of both he and Umbrella Inc..**


	5. Chapter 5

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Leon (sigh) or any of the other characters in the work below. **

**Synopsis: This is another Leon fic. I've added characters from Survivor and Dead Aim, because they're rarely used, and Bruce interests me (even if his nemesis was an anime-villain reject). S.T.A.R.S. will make an appearance, because it's not Resident Evil without them. Any characters from any other games are there because I liked the characters, but this is NOT a crossover. **

**RESIDENT EVIL: BROKEN**

**Chapter Five **

**The Arklay Mountains, Oct. 7, 2006**

** Ada crouched motionless on the roof of the safe house, a former government biohazard facility. The military had once used this complex as a base of operations in the months following the cleansing of Raccoon City. Stray B.O.W.s had been captured in the surrounding area and been brought here for both research and disposal. It had been a place of death eight years ago, and not much had changed.**

**Oh, experiments were no longer run here, but what did that matter? she asked herself caustically. Death clung to the abandoned complex, permeating the building's very foundation. Ever moment spent here was a reminder of all that had been taken from them by Albert Wesker, and that pain on served to strengthen their resolve. Umbrella had escaped their vengeance by going bankrupt. Albert Wesker would not.**

**Ada sighed and shifted positions, stretching the cramped muscles in her legs as she stood. She gazed at the surrounding forest, absently thinking that it truly was beautiful here. She could see why so many nature enthusiasts had been drawn here. It was a shame that no attempt had been made to rebuild Raccoon City, but some things simply weren't meant to be.**

**An image of Leon accompanied that thought, and she smiled through a veil of unshed tears. She had hurt him so badly with her lies, yet she hadn't seen any other way to protect him. Had she given the truth he believed that he needed, he would have died in a vain attempt to free his daughter. And she would have died with him.**

**Not that she wasn't going to die soon, anyway, she thought with dark humor. She had no illusions on that score. She was neither fast enough nor strong enough to kill Albert Wesker. That task would fall to the prick who was running this operation. Without him, this whole thing would've fallen apart years ago.**

**He would take care of Wesker, keep him distracted long enough for her to lead STRATCOM into the heart of Albert's little house of horrors. She would finally be able to restore Leon's daughter to him, and the two of them would be free to live their lives free of Albert's madness.**

**And I will _finally_ get to meet Sherry Birkin. Ada smiled at the prospect. She had spent nearly seven years sneaking into the lab after hours, staring at the stasis tube, talking to the comatose girl. She knew from personal experience how terrifying it was to be trapped inside your own body, unable to respond to outside stimuli, yet aware of everything that was happening around you. She had always hoped that her voice would provide some small measure of solace to the child that had become so important to her. It was all she'd had to offer the girl, though it wasn't nearly enough.**

**The creak of metal sent her spinning around, her handgun drawn before she's even formed the thought to arm herself. A tall, lanky man strolled confidently towards her, a charming smile curving his thin lips, as he completely ignored the gun aimed at his head. She rolled her eyes and holstered the Punisher, knowing that this man wasn't a threat to her life, just to her patience. "What are _you_ doing up here?"**

**Luis Sera merely shook his head, his smile widening, as he came to a stop before her. "Maybe, I just want to chat with a beautiful lady," he said in a richly-accented drawl. "Can't I come up here without having an ulterior motive?"**

**She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked one sable brow. "Surely, you can do better than that, Sera?"**

**He chuckled, spreading his hands in a supplicating gesture. "You know me too well, Ada."**

**"Yes, I do," she stated simply. "Now, talk."**

**"Leon called," Luis told her, the smile fading. "He told Coen that STRATCOM was on their way."**

**Ada merely nodded. "And how is Billy?"**

**"Sullen, moody, withdrawn. . ." Luis shrugged elegantly. "You know, the usual."**

**She sighed heavily at that. "He never should have told Leon the truth."**

**"Despite what _El Jafe_ thinks, Billy's an honorable man. He has never been comfortable with the lies," Luis reminded her quietly.**

**"Still. . ." her voice trailed off as she looked away. "He had no choice but to remain silent. Leon should've understood that. I'm the one he should've blamed for--"**

**He cut her off with a snort. "Leon shouldn't blame either of you, Ada. You've done everything you can to keep him and his kid alive."**

**"It wasn't enough, Luis." Ada met his gaze with unknowingly stark eyes. "It wasn't nearly enough."**

**Luis echoed her sigh and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. "He will understand in time, _nena_. And if he doesn't, he is a fool and he doesn't deserve you."**

**She uttered a short, strangled laugh at the declaration. "Thank you, Luis," she whispered, one hand slowly coming up to cover his. "That you, of all people, would say that--"**

**"It's true," he broke in quietly. "You brought me back with the best of intentions, _amiga_, just as you've spent the last eight years trying to free your child."**

**"Sherry Birkin is not my child," Ada snapped as she pulled away.**

**"Sure, she is." Luis leveled another smile at her, despite the flare of temper. "She is yours, _nena_, just as her father is."**

**"Shut up, Luis." Ada turned her back on him, blinking her eyes furiously. "Sherry can't be mine, okay? Leon hates me now, and even if he didn't, there's that Redfield girl to consider."**

**"Ah." Luis moved to her side slowly, his pale blue eyes never leaving her profile. "You are still jealous of Red's _mujer_, _si_?"**

**She shot him a sidelong glance, her eyes narrowing dangerously, as he touched on the one subject that had always been off-limits. "What is it about boundaries that you don't understand, Sera?"**

**"Everything," he returned cheerfully, throwing her a wink.**

**She jerked her gaze from his, trying desperately not to smile. Luis had that effect on most people, and she was no exception. "Look, Leon was in love with that-that _child_ eight years ago. She's the reason I stayed out of his life for so long," she continued angrily. "Claire Redfield hurt him, and he still hasn't recovered completely. Once he and Sherry are reunited, they'll be one big happy family again, and there will be no place for me."**

**Luis winced at the bitterness coating her words. "What about Red?" he asked quietly. "Don't you think he'll have something to say about that?"**

**"For his sake, I hope so." Ada managed a tight smile. "Quite honestly, I don't see how Redfield could _not _love him."**

**Two black brows climbed up at her words. "He is a pain in the ass, Ada."**

**"He is precocious, Luis."**

**"No, he's obnoxious. There's a difference," he added with exasperation.**

**"Mmmm, I suppose," she murmured noncommittally, knowing that Luis was just as fond of Steve Burnside as she herself was. "We should probably go inside. I imagine that Joseph is pulling at his tether by now."**

**_"Si,"_ Luis said with a vigorous nod, "and then some."**

**"I knew you had an ulterior motive for coming up here," she drawled before walking away. **

**Luis just laughed and jogged to catch up to her. He held the roof door open for her, ignoring her dark look, and followed her inside. She kept up a casual front as they made their way to the first floor of the complex, but he wasn't fooled. Joe might not scare her as he did _him_, but she was certainly very careful in her dealings with him. Which was a very good thing, Luis reminded himself. The _hombre_ wasn't quite right in head, and he was. . .fond of Ada Wong.**

**Ada drew a deep breath as she approached the facility's control room. Soon, she promised herself silently, this would all be behind her. Wesker would be dead, Leon and his daughter would be safe, and she would finally be able to rest. It was something she had longed for since first awakening in the bowels of the R.P.D.. Although the life that Albert had forced upon her had been unwanted, and something she had not deserved, she found it ironic that that very same life would shortly prove to be his undoing. **

**She pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by an angry male voice. "Where the hell have you been, woman?"**

**"I don't believe that's any of your business," Ada replied smoothly.**

**Joseph Frost, one-time Omni Man of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team, scowled at the too-cool answer. "S.T.A.R.S. and STRATCOM will be here any minute," he snapped, his animalistic red-gold eyes flashing once. "Don't take off, again, Ada. I mean it."**

**Ada didn't deign to respond as she nodded at the too-quiet man beside him. David King inclined his head in response, his dark eyes veiled as he listened to Joseph as he continued to plan their infiltration of Wesker's secret facility. David had been a simple plumber before the T-virus outbreak had destroyed Raccoon City. He had almost no combat training, yet he was surprisingly proficient with a knife. He was also very handy when it came to improvising, creating effective weaponry from the most common of items. Joseph and Steve had taken to calling him "MacGyver", which he assured her was not an insult, as a result. **

**David had joined their little rebellion seven years ago, unable to cope when he had attempted to return to the life he had once led. He had instead gone on a hunt for Albert Wesker, whom he had seen fleeing Raccoon City--with _her._ He had found her instead, and she had offered him the opportunity to join them, and one day gain the vengeance he so desperately believed that he needed. He had agreed, and he had become an invaluable member of their group.**

**Ada paused near the table, slanting him a questioning glance. He jerked his dark head to the far side of the room, in the general direction of Billy Coen. Billy was leaning against the wall near the control console, his hair obscuring most of his face, his body language screaming discomfort. His midnight gaze was locked on the security monitors, though she doubted that he would notice anything that came across them. As always, he was focused on his past, and the wasteland that was his present.**

**She sent David a tight smile and crossed the room, the smile becoming genuine as she felt Luis' comforting presence at her back. No matter what happened, Luis was always there, doing anything he could to help make this easier. He had become a friend, and she was going to miss him once this was over.**

**Ada leaned against the wall beside Billy, crossing her arms over chest in a habitual gesture. "Are you all right?" she asked in a quiet voice.**

**Billy shrugged, hunching his shoulders as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "I'm fine," he said flatly, when it was obvious that he was anything but.**

**She winced at that. "I _am_ sorry, Billy."**

**"It wasn't your fault." Billy met her gaze briefly before looking away. "It's nothing I didn't expect, anyway."**

**"Still. . ." Her voice trailed off as she caught Joseph's unusual gaze on her. She had to fight to keep her expression neutral, when she wanted nothing more than to sneer at him with disgust. It wasn't that he had been changed by the T-virus. He was simply a jerk, and she wanted nothing to do with him, despite his possessive attitude. If they hadn't needed him to handle Wesker, she would never have joined forces with him.**

**Luis placed himself in front of her in a casual movement, effectively blocking the other man's line-of-sight. "_Ese hombre me da el arrastra," _he muttered uneasily.**

**Billy snorted. "He gives everyone the creeps, Luis."**

**Ada smothered a laugh. "That he does," she agreed wryly. **

**"I don't know how David can spend so much time with him," Luis said with a shake of his head. "I couldn't do it."**

**"David's a patient man," Billy rumbled with another shrug. "The fact that nothing scares him helps, too."**

**She slanted a sharp glance at him, her sapphire eyes widening slightly at the knowing look he shot her in response. "I hadn't realized that you and David had talked so much," she said carefully.**

**"We haven't," Billy replied with a crooked smile. "I just recognize the symptoms, sweetheart. Once you've been through that kind of shit, it's kind of hard to hide."**

**Luis watched them trade a mysterious look with exasperation. "I don't suppose either of you are willing to share?" he asked hopefully.**

**Billy snorted again, and Ada merely shook her head. "When this is over, and we've all gone our separate ways, I'll tell you a story, Luis. Until then, I'm afraid that David's past is off-limits."**

**"Fair enough." Luis slid his hands into his back pockets, rocking back and forth in a restless motion. "So, it's almost game-time. Are you guys ready for this?"**

**"I've been ready," Billy said abruptly. "I've just been waiting for all of you."**

**She sent him a fond smile, which he missed as his restive gaze swept through the room. "I'll be glad when this is finally over," she said with a sigh. "No more walking that line."**

**"No, sweetheart, you'll be clear on the other side of it."**

**Luis chuckled at that. _"Si, nena._ You won't have to worry about losing your balance anymore."**

**"Nope." Billy's lips curved into a shark's smile. "Swan-dive, doll face."**

**Ada echoed Luis' laugh. "And then some, handsome." She ran a hand through her sable hair. "I don't see Steve. Do you know where he went?"**

**"He took off right after Luis did," Billy answered. "Said that he wanted to go over the chopper again. Make sure there wouldn't be any problems with it later."**

**"He's nervous," she said in a murmur. "Seeing Redfield means the world to him."**

**"Yeah," was all Billy said in return. His opinion of women well-known. "He's turned out pretty well, all things considered."**

**"Yes, he did," Luis said with atypical somberness. "If I'd spent eight years as Wesker's prisoner, I don't know that I would have."**

**Billy nodded once. "Me neither, Sera."**

**Ada remained silent, unable to respond. It didn't matter that she'd had the freedom to come and go as she liked for eight years. She had still been Albert's prisoner, kept in check by his threats against Leon, and her own sense of responsibility for Sherry Birkin. If she was going to topple off that imaginary tightrope, then she was going to go out with style, and save everyone she cared for in the process.**

**Thank God, it's almost over, she thought tiredly. She'd had her fill of Wesker, The Agency, and the life that had been forced upon her. She just wanted it done.**

**She felt a surge of emotion not her own and lifted her head. Luis met her gaze, his pale eyes locking on hers, concern radiating from their deceptively cold depths. She lifted one corner of her mouth in a crooked half-smile, a warning filling her own midnight gaze. He nodded almost imperceptively and looked away.**

**"Has anyone heard from Hunk?" she asked as relief flowed through her. "He should be here by now."**

**_"Si,"_ Luis answered. "_Senor_ Wesker had a last minute delivery for him. He'll be here as soon as he's done."**

**Ada shook her head at that. "Leave it to Albert to treat Mr. Death like a common delivery boy."**

**Billy burst out laughing, then stopped abruptly, unaccustomed to the sound. "If there's one thing Wesker doesn't lack, it's gall, sweetheart."**

**"Very true," she muttered in agreement.**

**The door burst open, and a young man came running in. "There's a helicopter coming in!" Steve Burnside yelled with excitement. "I think it's S.T.A.R.S.!"**

**Joseph's head came up, his tawny red-gold eyes flashing behind dark lenses. "Then, we should go greet them," he rumbled, unable to mask his own anticipation.**

**"Uh-uh." Steve shook his red head hastily. "I'll wait here, Joe."**

**The older man frowned. "Red--"**

**"You go," Steve said in a quiet voice, adding, "Please?" **

**Joseph sighed heavily, even though he understood the boy's reluctance. "I'll take care of it," he assured him, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile.**

**"Thanks, Joe."**

**He merely grunted and strode away from the table, wishing that _he_ didn't have to greet his former comrades alone. He boarded the cargo elevator and jabbed the button, anxiety filling him as it slowly began to rise. He hadn't seen Chris, or the rest of S.T.A.R.S., since his death in the Arklay Mountains. Eight years was a long time, and they had all been through hell since then. God only knew how they would react to seeing him, alive and well and changed by the T-virus.**

**Hopefully, the wouldn't shoot him outright, Joseph thought with black humor. His body healed at an incredible rate, but gunshots still hurt like a bitch. **

**The lift came to a stop, and he stepped onto the heliport. He walked forward a few feet and stopped, smiling slightly as he observed his former teammates. Six gun barrels swung towards him in tandem, the cold steel gleaming under the weak autumn sun. He kept his hands curled loosely at his sides, even as every muscle in his body tensed at once.**

**Chris Redfield took a step closer, his Samurai Edge pistol never wavering. "Who are you?" he asked in a harsh voice. "Where's Steve Burnside?"**

**"Steve is inside," Joseph answered flatly. "As to my identity. . .You, of all people, should recognize me, Chris."**

**There were several gasps as the other man's dark blue eyes widened in shock. "That-that's not possible," Chris stammered, unconsciously lowering his weapon. "You're dead."**

**"And yet, here I am," Joseph returned with a touch of sarcasm.**

**"No." Jill Valentine stepped forward and laid a restraining hand on his arm. Her own aim never wavered. "Joe is dead, Chris. We watched him die. Whoever this man is, he's not Joseph Frost."**

**"Who are you really?" A pretty auburn-haired girl stepped forward, her brilliant blue eyes flashing with anger. "What have you done with Steve? If you've hurt him. . ."**

**Her voice trailed off, and Joseph rolled his eyes. Even if he had failed to notice the family resemblance, the famous Redfield temper was a dead giveaway. "You must be Claire," he stated, reaching for his too-limited store of patience. "I've heard a lot about you."**

**"Is that a threat?" Barry Burton stepped forward, and Joseph found himself looking down the barrel of his Colt Anaconda.**

**"Barry, is that cannon really necessary?" he asked teasingly, as he had so often during his time with S.T.A.R.S.. **

**The old man blinked rapidly, his confusion obvious. "Joe?" he questioned hesitantly. "Is that really you?"**

**"Yes, it's me." Joseph concealed gaze moved over the remaining three S.T.A.R.S. members, whom he didn't know, though he was familiar with them. "I know you're surprised to see me, but we have a lot of ground to cover. If you'll come with me--"**

**"No." A handsome Latino man stepped forward, his M-16 trained steadily on Joseph's head. "I don't know you, _Senor_, and Jill says you're dead. We aren't going anywhere with you."**

**"Carlos." The diminutive woman beside him stepped forward, her own handgun held close to her side. "I met Joseph Frost once. This man looks just like him."**

**"I don't care," Carlos Olivera stated stubbornly. "It's probably just another Umbrella trick."**

**"Christ." Joseph slid the sunglasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We don't have time for this."**

**This was the part he'd been dreading, he thought as he slowly raised his head. There were several gasps, and Chris' sister actually cocked her gun, but no one took a shot him. Which was good, he thought relief. That last person who had tried that had ended up dead. The man had been an asshole, but he hadn't deserved to die like that. No one did.**

**"Now, do you understand?" he asked, unable to mask his anger at being forced to reveal his secret so soon.**

**Chris nodded, his expression of sorrow, as he lowered his weapon. "Good," Joseph snapped, covering his eyes once more. "Now, come with me. We don't have much time."**

**Claire jogged towards him, coming to a stop just out of reach. "Steve really is here?" she asked, her expression hopeful. "He really is alive?"**

**Joseph gazed at her broodingly. "He's downstairs, waiting for you," he answered with reluctance.**

**She blinked rapidly and looked over her shoulder. "He's here, Chris!"**

**Chris managed a smile that didn't quite hide his concern. "Let's go see him, then."**

**Joseph turned away and walked towards the lift. He pushed the button, his body tense as Alpha Team approached. He hated having anyone at his back. The doors opened and he entered, smiling sardonically as S.T.A.R.S. moved to the opposite side of the large lift. He leaned hit the button for the ground floor and leaned back against the wall. **

**Jill was gazing at him with suspicious, wary blue eyes, and he merely sighed. "What is it, Jill?"**

**She shrugged helplessly. "I feel as though I should say something, anything, but. . ."**

**Her husky voice trailed off, and he lifted one shoulder. "What's there to say?"**

**Her eyes widened briefly. "You're alive, Joseph. You weren't killed in the Cerberus attack. You survived--"**

**"No, I didn't," he cut in flatly. "Make no mistake, Jill. I died in the Arklay Mountains. I'm not human, and I never will be again."**

**Barry and Chris traded a frowning glance. "Joe--"**

**"Don't, Barry." The lift glided to a stop, and he let out a harsh breath. "It's done, and it can't be undone. Live with it. I do."**

**The doors slid open and he gratefully made his escape. He didn't look behind him to see if they followed. They'd come this far. They wouldn't turn back, now.**

**---------------------------------------**

**Steve fidgeted nervously with the hem of his black vest, his eyes trained on the double doors, as he waited for Joseph to return with S.T.A.R.S. He'd gone up to the heliport intending to greet Claire himself. But as soon as he'd seen the logo on the side of the chopper, he had suddenly found himself unable to face her. He'd panicked and run to Joe, like the boy he'd once been, instead of the man had become.**

**He ran a hand through his red hair and shifted, wishing he'd stayed and faced her like he'd wanted to. Then, he wouldn't be so damn scared, standing here wondering what her reaction was going to be. He would already know, one way or the other.**

**Steve winced and swallowed hard. He had spent eight years trapped in Wesker's lab, forced to help him perform experiments on others, all the while dreaming of Claire Redfield. He had fallen in love with her on Rock Fort island, and he'd thought that she felt the same. He had died before they could escape Antarctica, and awakened in one of Wesker's tanks, terrified but human. Or so he'd thought.**

**Wesker had deemed him a failure, yet he hadn't destroyed him. For reasons he would probably never fathom, Alby had brought him back to life. He had met Ada Wong shortly after awakening, and he'd been wary of the beautiful Asian spy. Everyone had known that she was sleeping with the former Umbrella scientist-turned-intelligence officer. When she had come to him and offered him a deal, he had been scared, sure that it was a test of his loyalty to Wesker. Then, she had shown him a report on Claire, and it had ceased to matter.**

**She had offered an exchange; she would keep him appraised of Claire's activities, and he would provide her with whatever information she needed. He had given her with security codes, virus samples, as well as the formulas used to develop them. In return, she had watched over Claire for him, and brought him detailed reports on her welfare.**

**A year after he'd awakened, he had entered the lab late at night, intent on stealing the latest sample for her. Instead, he had found her in the one room forbidden to all but he and Wesker. Ada had been sitting in Alby's chair, gazing intently at the stasis tube that dominated the large room, as she talked to the young girl who floated insensate inside. She had told him about Sherry Birkin and Raccoon City then, and he had finally understood why she had approached him.**

**Like him, she had been infected by an Umbrella virus. Also like him, she hated the man who was ultimately responsible. She had been working tirelessly to find a cure for what had been done to her, and a way to free them all from Wesker's iron grasp. But she refused to do that unless she could free the pretty young girl who was Wesker's favorite project.**

**Steve smiled a little as he thought of Sherry Birkin. He'd followed Ada's lead and taken to talking to the girl late at night, when no one else was around. He knew from personal experience just how frightening it was inside the tank, and he found that he wanted to help the girl. He'd told her all about Claire and Rock Fort, and Ada's plan to free them all. He knew the girl could hear him, even though she couldn't respond, and he wanted her to know that they were doing all that they could for her. It had made him feel better, and a little less alone.**

**He'd made sure Sherry knew that she wouldn't come out of the tank completely human. After all, he looked normal, too. Unfortunately, the T-Veronica virus had bonded with him on a cellular level. It would be a part of him until the day he died again, and that would probably be a long time in coming. Like Ada and Joe, he could take a _lot_ of damage.**

**Unlike Joe, he had retained nearly all of his human sensibilities. Sure, he had great eyesight, enhanced senses, and was stronger than hell. But he didn't have the emotional instability that the older man struggled with every waking moment. For which he was infinitely grateful!**

**Joseph had been on the skinny when he died. Now, he had muscles _everywhere._ Something he hadn't gotten, Steve thought glumly. He was taller than he'd been at seventeen, but he was still skinny as a rail. He'd tried working out, but his body burned off calories so quickly that he'd never been able to bulk up. The T-virus had done just the opposite to Joseph, but Ada said that she still looked the same as she had when she'd been infected.**

**He'd never understood why Ada wanted the virus samples he'd stolen for her. After all, none of their allies were scientists, so trying to find a cure had seemed pointless. It wasn't until she'd returned from Spain with Luis Sera two years ago that it had all became clear. The Spaniard had been a scientific researcher before his death. Ada had used Alby's own special T-virus mix to resurrect him so that he could help them all become human again.**

**So far, nothing Luis had done had worked. What Wesker had done to them couldn't be undone. He loved Ada for trying, but he'd given up hope a long time ago. He would never be human again. None of them would.**

**He heard voices in the hall and quickly straightened. He shot a glance over his shoulder, unconsciously seeking reassurance. Ada sent him an encouraging smile, Luis grinned and threw him a wink, and _Billy_ actually nodded at him. For the older man, who hated women, that was really something!**

**Steve's gaze snagged David's as he turned back towards the door. The man just gazed at him, no discernable emotion in his dark eyes, and Steve shivered. He pasted a hasty smile on his face and looked away, fighting an urge to rub the goose-bumps on his arms. He'd never been comfortable around Mac, as he and Joe called him. The man was too damned quiet. He almost never spoke, and when he did, Steve usually wished he hadn't. Mac had to be the darkest, most pessimistic person he'd ever met. Unlike Billy who was _always_ angry, David was just. . .blank. It was almost as if he were already dead, and was just waiting for someone to make it a reality.**

**The sound of the doors opening wiped all other thoughts from his mind. Claire was here! he thought, rubbing his damp palms on his pants legs. Joseph came in first, making a curt gesture in _his_ direction, and Steve straightened his spine. An older man with wary blue eyes glanced in his direction, his lips tightening. Steve recognized him instantly as Chris Redfield, the older brother that had dropped everything to come to Antarctica and rescue he and Claire.**

**A slim figure swept past him, her auburn ponytail bouncing behind her as she ran towards _him._ Tears shone in her brilliant blue eyes, a smile trembling on her lips, as she threw herself against him. "Claire!"**

**"Steve!" Claire pulled back just enough to look up at him, meeting his vibrant green eyes, and the tears spilled over. "Oh, Steve! Wesker wasn't just taunting me! He really did bring you back!"**

**"Yeah," he whispered, humbled as she pulled him close once more. Steve held her as tight as he could without hurting her, closing his eyes as he turned his face into her fragrant hair. "Claire, I've missed you so much."**

**"I've missed you, too!" she wailed, and his world suddenly righted itself.**

**Ada smiled as she watched the young couple, grateful that Steve would have a place to go. She glanced at Luis, who's own smile was bittersweet. "At least, he'll be taken care of," she murmured.**

**_"Si,"_ Luis mumbled in return. "It doesn't mean I won't miss him, Ada."**

**"I know." She watched as Steve was warily--but fully--welcomed by the other S.T.A.R.S. members. He would have what the rest of them never would--a normal life. A part of her was envious, while the rest of her was simply grateful. "He has a future now, Luis."**

**"At least, one of us does."**

**Billy ignored them as he tilted his head to one side, peeking at S.T.A.R.S. through a veil of hair. Rebecca was smiling as she talked to Steve and Claire, looking as young and fresh as she had the night he'd met her. Damn her! he thought with a rush of heat. Why wasn't there some sign of her faithless nature in her beautiful, guileless features? Why did he still see purity in those deceptively innocent green eyes, when he knew that she was anything but?**

**He clenched his teeth as rage threatened to overwhelm him. It had been seven years since he had caught her with _him_, and yet he was unable to let it go. The anger never truly left him, no matter how hard he willed it to. For some fucked-up reason he would never understand, he still loved Rebecca Chambers. He probably always would. He just couldn't forgive her for fucking him over. His problem, he thought philosophically, not hers.**

**She turned to say something to the man at her side, her hand touching his arm, and Billy's hands clenched so tightly that they ached. Carlos Olivera flashed her a charming smile, oblivious to his murderous stare, and lifted her hand to his lips. Billy's entire body tensed at the unnecessary Old World gesture, and he had to fight the urge to rush across the room and kill the man. Rebecca rolled her eyes and jerked her hand back, but it was too late. Billy knew then that if he ever got Olivera alone, he _would_ kill him, and give credence to the world's belief that he was a killer.**

**"Billy." Luis shifted, effectively blocking his view. "You don't want to go there, _amigo."_**

**"Too late," Billy growled, meeting his gaze with narrowed cobalt eyes. He saw the concern in their pale depths and snorted. "Don't worry about me, Luis. I'm not going to off myself because of that little--"**

**He broke off and looked away. "I'm fine, Luis. Pissed, but fine."**

**"No!" Luis said with mock amazement. "You, angry? I never would have guessed!"**

**"Bite me, Sera," Billy snapped before he could stop himself.**

**"No, thanks," the Spaniard responded dryly. "You're definitely _not_ my type."**

**Ada shot them both an exasperated look. "Would you two please behave?" **

**"I'll behave any way you'd like me to, _nena."_ Luis put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "You like cops, _si? _I still have my handcuffs somewhere." **

**"That's it," Billy declared, unable to hide a sudden smile, "I'm out of here."**

**She merely laughed and patted the Spaniard cheek. "Sorry, Luis, but you're even higher maintenance than _I _am."**

**He laughed, not offended in the least. "And then some, _amiga."_**

**Billy watched them interact with a shake of his head. Even after two years, he was still surprised by the bond that had formed between the two. Ada kept everyone at arm's length, even Steve, whom she treated as a favored child. She and Luis had become very best of friends, though he didn't think they'd ever been intimate. He knew that Ada was as faithful to Leon as circumstances allowed.**

**His smile died at the thought of the younger man. He'd known what the consequences would be if his secret were ever discovered. He'd fucked up by keeping Ada's secret, and they weren't friends any longer. It hurt, but he'd learn to live with it. Or not, as the case would probably be.**

**Billy pushed all thoughts of his spent friendship with Leon aside. He doubted that any of them would live past today. STRATCOM and S.T.A.R.S. would survive--Ada would see to that--but it was over for the rest of them.**

**About fucking time, he thought with a sigh. He was damned tired of anger and pain. Peace sounded pretty friggin' good to him. It was just too bad that he'd have to die to find it.**

**He glanced at the security monitors, his eyes narrowing as he caught movement on one of the screens. "STRATCOM's here," he announced flatly.**

**Ada whirled around, her sapphire eyes locking onto the screen. "Luis?" she questioned, her voice breathless.**

**"I'll get them," he told her, squeezing her arm before walking away. She didn't notice, all of her attention focused on the monitor, and the man she had spent eight years protecting. She was going to be in a world of hurt when this was over, he thought with sorrow. They all were.**

**----------------------------------**

**Leon brought the jeep to a stop just outside of the big, fenced government complex. He grabbed Billy's gear--his uniform and attaché case--and reached for the door handle. He paused, his clear blue gaze taking stock of their surroundings. The facility was huge, although it had obviously fallen into disrepair. The waning sunlight cast the abandoned military complex in shadow, giving it a sinister air that sent a shiver of apprehension up his spine.**

**What the hell had Ada been thinking, using a place like _this_ as a base of operations? Leon asked himself incredulously. He knew that the government had not only disposed of B.O.W.s here, but that they had experimented on them, too. The place reeked of death, and a small part of him quailed in the face of it.**

**He shared a glance with Bruce, who own expression was one of trepidation, before climbing out of the vehicle. He closed the door but didn't bother to lock it. His men rounded the car, drawing their weapons, and he did the same. He gripped the Blacktail tightly with his free hand and slowly led his team to the tall fence. He reached out and tested it, taking a quick step back as it slid open much too easily.**

**"What the fuck is going on here?" he heard Tom mutter behind him, and silently he echoed the question. Why wasn't there any security? he asked himself uneasily. Ada wasn't a stupid woman. She had to know how vulnerable she was, up here in the Arklay Mountains, which the military still patrolled on a regular basis. Why wasn't there at least a guard or two?**

**Ark was the first to step through the gate, his CZ75 held up before him. "I don't like this, Leon. Something doesn't feel right."**

**Fongling nodded as she followed. "I agree," she said. "It is much too quiet here."**

**Bruce snorted, even as his cerulean eyes swept the area thoroughly. "What were you expecting?" he questioned drolly. "Zombies? Hunters?"**

**"An armed escort," she shot right back. "Why has no one appeared to greet us?"**

**The sound of a door opening echoed through the humid summer air, and a lone figure appeared in the distance. Tom drew a bead on the individual, his .45 held with deadly intent. "Looks like we've got our escort," he said neutrally.**

**Bruce cast him a dark look. "Funny, Hansen. Real cute."**

**The man drew closer, and Leon's eyes widened with disbelief. Black hair fell to the man's shoulders, framing a face with Mediterranean features, brushing the top of a vibrantly colored vest. An open-necked white shirt was tucked into faded blue jeans, which were pulled over plain black boots. An ornate silver belt buckle gleamed in the weak sunlight, as did several silver rings as the man raised his hands in an unmistakable gesture of peace. **

**The man came to a halt three feet away, his pale blue eyes meeting and holding his own. "Hey, cop," the dead man threw out in greeting, "it's been a long time, eh?"**

**"Luis?!"**

**_"Si, _Leon, it's me." Luis smiled tightly and extended his hand, wondering if Leon would react as so many others had, and treat him as a monster. The younger man looked dazed as he holstered his gun, and Luis couldn't blame him. It wasn't every day that you came face-to-face with a dead man.**

**Leon secured the Blacktail with slow movements, his gaze going to the extended hand, before coming back up to his. He stepped forward and drew the other man into a hug, shocking the hell out of him. Luis patted him on the back with a faint smile. "It's good to see you, too, Leon."**

**"Jesus!" Leon stepped back, unable to conceal his shock as he gazed at the man who's death still haunted his dreams. "Luis. . ."**

**"I know." He glanced at Leon's unit, all of whom still had their guns pointed straight at his head. "Do you mind, cop? I don't want to die a second time if I can help it."**

**Leon made a curt gesture, and his men holstered their weapons. "How?" he stammered, unable to manage more.**

**Luis' expression softened fractionally. "How do you think, Leon?"**

**Rage suffused the younger man's features. "Ada," he all but spat, and Luis merely sighed.**

**"Don't be too hard on her," he entreated in a quiet voice. "She's done all of this for _you_."**

**Leon's clear blue eyes narrowed with hatred, and Luis shook his head at the cop's stubbornness. "Introduce me to you team, then."**

**Leon nodded curtly. "This is my second-in-command, Bruce McGivern. Bruce, meet Luis Sera."**

**"A pleasure," Bruce drawled, even as he flashed Leon a puzzled look. "Uh, Leon, isn't this the guy that died in Spain?"**

**Tom frowned and smacked the back of his head. "I'm Tom Hansen," he said calmly, ignoring the other man's muffled curse. He shook Luis' hand with a small smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sera."**

**_"Me llaman Luis," _Luis responded, his gaze falling on Fongling with obvious interest. "Ah, more American ballistics. What is your name, _senorita?"_**

**"I am not American," Fongling declared, crossing her arms over her chest. "The name is Fongling, stranger. Do not forget it."**

**Luis raised an amused eyebrow at her spirited response, his interest peaked. McGivern frowned at him and stepped closer to her, his stance screaming possession. Luis took the hint and backed off. He didn't poach, and he could find his own women. "It's good to meet you, Fongling."**

**A slender man with a shock of brown hair and brilliant blue eyes stepped forward, his gaze locked on the facility with open suspicion. "And who are you?" Luis asked curiously. **

**Those eyes narrowed on his with surprising hostility. "Where's Billy Coen?" **

**"He's inside," Luis answered, hiding his surprise at the show of concern. From what Billy himself had said, he wasn't well liked by his teammates. "Is there a problem, _Senor. . ."_**

**"Ark Thompson," Ark snapped. "Is he all right?"**

**"Of course." Luis slanted a glance at Leon, his disappointment apparent. "You surprise me, cop. I didn't think you had it in you to be so cruel."**

**Leon looked away guiltily. "It's complicated, Luis."**

**"I'm sure that it is." He followed Leon's gaze to the olive green bag in his left hand. "Is that Billy's?  
**

**Leon frowned at his hopeful tone. "Of course."**

**Luis let out a relieved breath. "And here I thought you fired him," he said lightly.**

**"He quit before I could," Leon snapped in a flash of irritation.**

**Pale eyes narrowed on his briefly. "So, he spoke the truth," Luis murmured, half to himself. "I'd hoped that he was exaggerating, for his sake."**

**"What do you mean?" Ark asked worriedly. "You said he was all right. Is something wrong with him?"**

**Luis ignored him, focused on Leon's strained expression. "You need to make sure he has a place to go when this over," he told him quietly. "If he stays here, _El Jafe_ will kill him."**

**Leon thought of Ada's earlier words and his gut tightened with alarm. "Who's in charge here, Luis?"**

**"A dead man that should have stayed dead," came the cryptic response. Luis turned and began to walk away. "Hurry, cop. We don't have much time."**

**Leon hurried after him, determined to have his answers. "If it's not Ada, then who?" he demanded. "And why is Billy at risk?"**

**"You'll see soon enough, Leon." Luis slanted him an unreadable glance over his shoulder. "You should have taken Ada's advise and left this to us, cop."**

**"Damn it all, what are you and Ada so afraid of?" he asked with frustration. "Is it Albert Wesker?"**

**"Isn't _Senor_ Wesker enough?" Luis merely shook his head, scattering his overlong hair. "We're going in to Wesker's facility with every security code he's ever used, and what amounts to a small army. And none of it's going to make a damn bit of difference."**

**He stopped suddenly, half turning to face him. "Most of us are going to die today, Leon. We've accepted that. You didn't need to sacrifice your team, as well. You should've let us handle _Senor _Wesker on our own."**

**"Luis. . ." Leon glanced at Bruce, who's normally jovial expression was set. He didn't mind sacrificing his own life, but he was beginning to regret asking his men--his _friends_-- to risk theirs. "Have you been to Wesker's facility? Have you seen his security?"**

**He paused, then asked, "Have _you_ seen my daughter?"**

**"No." Luis opened the main door and led them into the complex. "I've seen all of Wesker's records on her, but that's it. Wesker would have recognized me," he added simply.**

**Leon frowned at that, but let it go. He had other questions that needed answers. "Is Sherry--" Leon broke off, swallowing hard. "Is my daughter still human, Luis?"**

**_"Si," _Luis responded quickly, adding, "She's as human as she was when she went in, and that's _only_ because Ada and Red have managed to sabotage any experiments that might have harmed her."**

**Tom's bright blue eyes narrowed on the miraculously resurrected Spaniard. "Who's Red?" he questioned in a calm voice.**

**Luis smiled with obvious affection. "Red worked as one of Wesker's lab assistants. He had access to everything, Leon. We couldn't have done this without him."**

**Leon nodded curtly. He didn't care who this Red was. He wasn't the man that was running this operation. "And just what are we doing, Luis?" he asked at length.**

**"Committing suicide?" The Spaniard opened the facility door with a shrug and a surprisingly reckless smile. "We're going to free your daughter, and blow Wesker's facility to hell. Easy enough, eh?"**

**Fongling blinked at the casual, nearly cheerful response. "You are crazy," she told him.**

**Luis laughed as he led them through the lobby. "I've been called worse," he assured her humorously.**

**Bruce eyed the charming Spaniard cautiously. "Well, at least we we're on solid ground this time," he said, then frowned. "This facility isn't on a ship or an oil derrick, right?"**

**"Uh, no," Luis answered, his curiosity evident. "Why?"**

**He merely shrugged, while Tom laughed aloud. "I'm not too fond of ships anymore either, Bruce."**

**Fongling shook her head in exasperation. "A ship, dry land. What does it matter? We are here to kill Albert Wesker, yes?"**

**Leon slanted her a fond smile. Leave it to the only woman among them to put things into their proper perspective. She was going to make an excellent addition to the his unit. "You're right, Fongling." **

**"Of course, I am," she declared haughtily. "I am not afraid of anything." **

**"Yeah, right." Bruce snorted at that. "I saw you running through the Spenser Rain as though your feet were on fire. You didn't even bother to shoot the zombies, you just dodged them."**

**"I was saving ammunition," she snapped right back. "At least, I wasn't the one running from Morpheus like a frightened child. _Hurry, Fongling, get that door open!" _she mocked in a surprisingly good imitation of Bruce's Bostonian drawl. _"Morpheus is about to break through!"_**

**He scowled at her. "Yeah, and who had to save you from Morpheus with a laser gun?" he taunted in return.**

**"Yes, Bruce, it was you. You were my hero." She smiled prettily, then ruined the effect by rolling her eyes. "How was that?"**

**"Better," he allowed grudgingly. "So long as you remember which one of us is the man, I'll be happy."**

**Leon traded an amused with Tom before glancing at Ark. His smile faded at the worry the other man didn't bother to hide. Ever since Lott had started spending time with Billy, he had become family to the other man, and Ark Thompson was fiercely protective of those he considered family.**

**"He'll be alright, Ark," Leon strove to assure him.**

**Ark pinned him under a surprisingly ferocious stare. "He'd better be," he stated angrily, "or you get to explain his death to my son."**

**Leon winced. "I told you I'd talk to him, Ark."**

**Ark put a hand on his weapon, an impressive CZ75 double-action pistol. "You'd better, Leon." **

**Leon raised one tawny brow. Ark wasn't the kind of man to threaten _anyone_. That he was doing so now told Leon just how pissed he was by the current situation. "I will," he promised sincerely. "Once this is over, I'll take care of it."**

**The other man nodded, and Leon let out a silent sigh of relief. Luis led them through another set of doors, and he glanced around the large corridor with trepidation. Each room had a large window, and he could see laboratory equipment in each. None of it looked as though it had been used recently, but it still made him uneasy. It reminded him of the underground lab in Raccoon City, and all of the horrors he had encountered there. **

**How the hell could Ada stand it? he held himself. She had _died_ in a place just like this! How could she use this facility as a base of operations, after all she'd been through?**

**"Leon." **

**He looked up to find Luis standing before a set of steel doors, his expression all too serious. "What is it, Luis?"**

**"Be careful in here," Luis told him gravely. _"El Jafe_ has it in for you, too."**

**"Why?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me, Luis?"**

**"You'll see, Leon." With those cryptic words, the Spaniard pushed the doors open and stepped through. **


	6. Chapter 6

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Leon (sigh) or any of the other characters in the work below. **

**Synopsis: This is another Leon fic. I've added characters from Survivor and Dead Aim, because they're rarely used, and Bruce interests me (even if his nemesis was an anime-villain reject). S.T.A.R.S. will make an appearance, because it's not Resident Evil without them. Any characters from any other games are there because I liked the characters, but this is NOT a crossover. **

**Author's Note: This started out as a Leon/Ada fic, but it's grown a bit since then. The main story still belongs to them, but I couldn't resist delving into the lives of some of the supporting characters (like Billy Coen). Still, I hope you'll continue to read the story, and enjoy it. **

**Chapter Six**

**Leon kept one hand on the butt of his gun as he entered the large room. His deep blue eyes swept through the room, cataloguing each and every nuance of his surroundings. A large console sat against the far wall, a bank of monitors dominating it. A sturdy metal table sat in the center of the room with what appeared to be blue-prints and files scattered across its dull surface. **

**He finally allowed himself to focus on the room's occupants, and a genuine smile split his features. S.T.A.R.S. had beaten STRATCOM here, and he was damned glad for it. He hadn't seen his surrogate family in far too long.**

**"Chris," he greeted, striding forward to shake the other man's hand. "How have you been?"**

**"I'm good." Chris smiled faintly at the man who had once loved his sister so passionately. "It's good to see you, Leon."**

**Leon turned to Jill, who's classic features reflected warmth as she gave him a hug. "How are you, Jill?"**

**"I'm well," Jill answered as she pulled back. She studied him for a long moment before smiling. "You look good, Leon. Government work obviously agrees with you."**

**"Thanks," he said with a wry laugh.**

**"Leon!" **

**He turned just in time to catch Claire as she bounded into his arms. He caught her and hugged her hard, unable to contain a grin. Claire's boundless energy had always been infectious. "How have you been, honey?" he asked affectionately.**

**"I'm great!" She pulled back and smiled up at him, a gleam in her brilliant blue eyes that he had never seen before. She took a hold of his hand and tugged twice. "Come on, Leon. I've got someone I want you to meet."**

**Leon let her drag him across the room, hoping like hell that he wasn't blushing as hard as he imagined he was. They came to a stop before a tall, slender young man with red hair. Surprisingly vivid green eyes narrowed on his, and he felt his hackles rise in response. The other man seemed to be studying him, looking for what, Leon didn't know. He wondered just who this guy was, and why Claire seemed so excited by his presence.**

**Claire saw the suspicious look on Steve's face and rolled her eyes. "Don't start," she said told him, her stern tone at odds with the adoration in her eyes.**

**"But, Claire--"**

**She silenced him with a look, and he finally sighed. "Oh, alright. I'll be nice," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.**

**"Good." She turned back to Leon, the smile resurfacing. "Leon, I'd like you to meet Steve. Steve, this is Leon Kennedy."**

**"Steve?!" Leon blurted out, shock spreading through him. "Steve Burnside?"**

**"Yep, that's me." Steve eyed the man that Claire had once been in love with--that Ada was _still_ in love with--with a reluctance he couldn't hide. He finally extended his hand, knowing that it was what Claire expected of him. "So, you're the ex, huh?"**

**"Uh, yeah," Leon returned as he shook his hand, knowing that he shouldn't be surprised. After all, Ada and Luis had both come back from the dead. Why not the man Claire loved, too? "I'm glad to finally meet you, Steve. I've heard a lot about you."**

**"Damn," Steve mumbled as he released him. Claire had been right. Leon Kennedy _was_ a nice guy. "And I so didn't want to be impressed."**

**Leon blinked at that but didn't comment. He slanted a fond glance at Claire, who had linked her hand with the younger man's. "You finally found him," he murmured with wonder. "Congratulations, honey."**

**She flushed happily. "Thanks, Leon."**

**Ada watched from the far end of the room as Leon greeted the rest of S.T.A.R.S.. That he cared for them was clear, and the sentiment was obviously returned. These were the people that Leon considered family, and she wondered just what they had done to warrant such unfailing loyalty from him. God knew, nothing she'd done had ever been enough.**

**At least, he'd dealt with meeting Steve well, Ada comforted herself. She could only imagine how hard it was for him to be confronted with the man who had stolen Redfield's heart. He had certainly loved the little twit enough. Yet, Leon was a good enough person to not only accept Claire Redfield's choice, but to be happy that his replacement had been restored to her. It wasn't something she could have done.**

**Billy stirred beside her, muttering unintelligibly under his breath, as the rest of STRATCOM--as well as S.T.A.R.S.--began to notice them. "Looks like it's time to face the music."**

**Ada slanted him a sidelong glance, unable to conceal her concern. "Only if you're ready to, Billy." **

**"I'm never going to be ready for this, Ada." He pushed himself away from the wall and shook his head slightly. His hair fell into his face, and he uttered a sigh of relief. "Let's just get it over with, alright?"**

**Luis joined them then, his usually jovial features pensive. "I thought that your teammates disliked you, _amigo?"_ he threw out casually.**

**Billy snorted. "Hate would be a better word, Sera."**

**"Then, why did _Senor_ Thompson threaten to shoot Leon if he didn't fix things between you?" Luis asked archly.**

**Disbelief flashed across Billy's face, quickly replaced by his usual scowl. "How the fuck should I know, Luis?" he snapped defensively. "Maybe, you heard them wrong. English isn't your first language, remember?"**

**The Spaniard responded by flipping him off, and his scowl darkened. "Damn it, Luis--"**

**"That's enough," Ada cut in, not unkindly. She sent Luis a warning glance, and he rolled his eyes in return. "There will be time enough to worry about such things in the future, Luis."**

**_"Si," _he agreed much too easily, "provided we don't die today."**

**Billy shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and unconsciously hunched his shoulders. "Today's as good a day as any." **

**Alarm raced through her at the flatly-spoken words. She drew a deep breath and lowered her voice as her eyes locked on Billy's. "If you want to die, that's your business, but it won't happen today," she told him furiously. "You give me your word that'll you do everything you can to survive, or you're out."**

**His cobalt eyes flashed once response, then went blank. "Fine," he said tersely. "I'll find another way, then."**

**"See that you do." Ada sighed heavily and set a careful hand on his shoulder. "It's not that I don't understand, Billy. I do. I simply can't allow you to die on my shift."**

**Because Leon would never forgive her, Billy thought as he shrugged off her touch. Aloud, he only said, "I meant what I said, Ada. I'll find another way."**

**She studied him for a moment longer before nodding. As Luis had said, Billy was an honorable man. If he made a promise, he kept it. One less thing to worry about today, she thought with a mental shrug. Even if she didn't survive this, maybe she'd get lucky, and the people she cared about would. What happened afterwards was up to them. **

**Ada ran a nervous hand through her black hair and squared her shoulders. "Follow me," she said abruptly, not looking to see if they followed. Unfortunately for them all, they didn't have a choice if they wanted to see this ended.**

**She strode across the room with a hip-swinging gate, grateful for the heeled boots which provided it, especially as Leon's gaze was drawn to her. He looked angry even as his eyes devoured her, and she allowed herself a cool smile. It eased something in her to know that he still desired her, no matter how passionately he might despise her. If she was going to die for he and his daughter, it was the least he could give her. **

**Leon watched as Ada crossed the room, unable to look away as she slowly covered the distance between them. She was wearing a small, mocking smile which lent a cruel cast to her stunning Asian features. He knew then that she was just as pissed as he was, and was doing her best to hide it. A part of him wondered where she got off, being angry when she'd been the one to betray _him._ The rest of him was too busy dealing with his body's reaction to her to think about much of _anything._**

**She came to halt before him, her chin coming up as her gaze slammed into his. He felt the impact all the way to his toes, his heart skipping a beat, then redoubling into a furious rhythm. Yes, she was angry, he thought with a jolt, but there was another emotion swirling through the deep sapphire depths, one which he'd never thought to see--fear.**

**Dread uncoiled in his gut as he unconsciously took a step forward. Ada Wong was a highly-skilled agent. She feared nothing. She had survived things that even she shouldn't have been able to. She had _died_ without showing even a hint of fear, her only concern for _his_ safety. That she was afraid now, when she was so close to what she claimed whas her objective, scared the hell out of _him._ **

**"Ada. . ." His voice trailed off as she quickly shook her head. She was right, Leon thought with a sigh. Now wasn't the time for this. He'd find out soon enough just what it was that had struck fear in a heart he'd thought incapable of it.**

**Ada let out a relieved breath as he fell silent. She held his gaze for a moment longer before finally stepping aside. Leon's beautiful blue eyes moved past her, and his lips tightened almost imperceptively. He flicked her another glance, nodded once, and focused on the man standing beside her. Thank God, she thought as she shifted closer to Luis. Billy might have a chance, after all.**

**Leon waited a few moments for Billy to acknowledge him, and sighed heavily when he refused to do so. The older man continued to stare at the floor, his hair obscuring most of his face, his shoulders hunched in a self-conscious manner. He looked much as he had when Leon had first brought him home. Billy had barely spoken back then, preferring to hide in his room rather than deal with the outside world. It had been like living with a ghost, and Leon had hated it. It had taken him six months to draw Billy out of his shell, to get him to a point where he could interact with his fellow teammates in a fairly normal way. **

**And now, because a few thoughtless, cutting words, all that progress had been wiped out. Leon was flooded with guilt as he realized that _he_ had done this. He had let his anger with Ada get the better of him, and he had taken it out on someone who didn't deserve it. As pissed as he was with Billy for hiding his involvement in Ada's schemes, he wasn't going to throw away eight years of friendship. Billy deserved better than that, and damn it, so did he. All that remained to be seen was if Billy would allow him to repair their friendship, or if he'd been hurt too badly to allow it.**

**Leon slowly lifted the olive-green bag holding Billy's STRATCOM gear in a gesture of peace. "You forgot something," he said simply.**

**Billy eyes shifted from the bag, meeting his own briefly, before dropping again. "No, I didn't," he responded, his voice nearly inaudible.**

**"Yes, you did," Leon told him stubbornly. He stepped forward, the bag nearly touching the other man. "Take it, Billy. None of my men go on a mission without their gear."**

**There was a gasp to his left, and Billy's cobalt eyes flickered as he fought the urge to turn towards it. "It's a good thing I'm not one of your men, then," he said flatly.**

**"Goddammnitt!" Leon roared as his temper snapped. He shoved the bag at his friend, ignoring the way Billy's eyes narrowed in warning. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean any of it. So take your fucking gear, Coen, before I shove it down your damn throat!"**

**"Fine!" Billy snapped, snatching the bag from his hands. "I've taken it. Now, back the fuck off, Leon."**

**Relief flowed through him as he quickly backed down. The last thing he wanted was a fight with Billy, no matter how angry they both were. He stepped away, grateful that Billy would at least be prepared for whatever awaited them. As for their friendship, only time would tell. Billy had accepted the bag and what it represented. For now, that would have to be enough.**

**"Thank you," he said in a low voice.**

**Billy snorted and shouldered the bag with jerky movements, trying desperately to hold on to his own precarious temper. "Don't ever threaten me again," he warned in an emotionless voice. "You don't want to mix it up with me, Leon. Take my word on _that."_**

**Leon raised one tawny brow but remained silent. Billy might be moody and unpredictable, but he wasn't a violent man. And he hadn't had the extensive training that both he and Tom had received from the government. He might have been Special Ops, but he wasn't capable of besting his commander. Of that, Leon was absolutely certain.**

**"Billy?"**

**They both turned to find Rebecca standing a few feet away, one hand pressed to her mouth. "Is it really you?" she asked in a high, breathless voice.**

**Billy only shrugged as he forced himself to face the woman who had shattered all of his hopes for the future. "Hello, Rebecca," he said with resignation.**

**"Hello." Rebecca smiled tentatively, unable to believe that this long-haired, leather-clad ruffian was actually Billy Coen. He didn't return the gesture, merely gazed at her dispassionately, and she swallowed hard. "How-how have you been?"**

**He really didn't know how to answer that one, so he fell back on his stock answer. "I'm fine." It wasn't true, but she didn't need to know that. "And you?" he asked as politely as he could manage.**

**"I'm good," she murmured, her gaze dropping at his less than enthusiastic response. Maybe, Carlos had been right, after all, she thought painfully.**

**Billy merely nodded and fiddled with the strap at his shoulder. "I should go change," he said at length. When she didn't respond, he released a quiet breath and headed for the door, giving her a wide berth. He wanted nothing to do with her, and hopefully, she would accept that now. It would better for them both if she did. **

**Carlos stepped into his path, his too-pretty features fierce with anger, and Billy prayed for patience. "Excuse me," he forced through gritted teeth. "You're in my way."**

**"Good," Carlos snapped, his dark eyes flashing. "I want to know what your problem is, Coen? Rebecca hasn't seen you in seven years, and _this_ is how you treat her?"**

**"Carlos, don't," Rebecca entreated quietly.**

**Billy glared at her for a moment before turning back to him with hate-filled blue eyes. This man had stolen his woman and ruined his life, and he had the nerve to criticize _him_ for his behavior?! "Get out of my way," he snapped, dangerously close to losing his too-fragile hold on his self-control.**

** "No," Carlos told him stubbornly. "I want an answer, and you're going to give it to me."**

**Billy's hand shot out, his palm landing flat in the center of his chest. Carlos dropped to the floor, gasping for air as he gazed up him with stunned brown eyes. Rebecca instantly dropped to her knees beside him, earning a sneer from her former lover. "Billy, you hit him!" she exclaimed with shock. **

**"No shit, sweetheart." He stood over them both with a forbidding expression. "Stay the fuck away from me, Olivera, or I won't be responsible for the consequences."**

**"That's enough!" Joseph came around the table, no longer willing to sit back and observe. "Go change, Killer. We've wasted enough time on _you_."**

**Although he would never admit it, Billy was grateful that someone had had the sense to stop him, even as it further enraged him. "Fuck you, Frost." **

**Joseph let out a roar and leapt for him. Billy turned to face him, welcoming the fight, when a flash of black stepped between them. "Damn it, Ada, I fight my own battles!"**

**"Not this time." She caught Joseph in mid-air and hurled him across the room with all of her strength. She drew her Punisher even as she threw over her shoulder, "Go change. Luis, go with him."**

**_"Si,"_ Luis said quickly, more than happy to get away from Joseph Frost and his hair-trigger temper. Billy hesitated, obviously not happy, and he shook his head. "Pick your battles a little more wisely, _amigo._"**

**"Whatever," Billy muttered, finally relenting. He stomped out of the room, followed by a very nervous Luis Sera. **

**Ada approached Joseph swiftly, furious as she watched him reach for his sunglasses, which had fallen off during their brief scuffle. She kicked them out of his reach and aimed the Punisher at him, the laser sight forming a small but perfect circle in the center of his forehead.**

**She smiled down at him coldly. "I believe it's time for a renegotiation." **

**Joseph glared at her with equal parts of lust and fury. "You can't protect them forever," he said in a growl.**

**"I can protect them, now," she returned simply. **

**The smile disappeared, and Joseph wasn't so far gone that he didn't know what that signified. "You need me," he reminded her, hoping to play on her very real need for revenge to save his own ass. "You can't kill Wesker without me."**

**"I'm beginning to think I won't be able to kill him _with _you." Ada crouched down before him, the gun never wavering as she met his animal-like eyes. "Luis and Billy are _mine_, Joseph. I promised them safety when I brought them here. If I can't keep my promise to them, I certainly won't keep my promise to _you."_**

**Those red-eyes flashed with a pain he would never voice. "It won't happen, again," he said roughly.**

**Ada studied him for a long, tense moment before holstering her weapon. She rose and retrieved his glasses, tossing them to him carelessly. "See that it doesn't." **

**His eyes narrowed but he kept his mouth shut. Smart man, she thought. He obviously wanted to live a while longer. Which was a relief, because as unstable as Joseph undoubtedly was, they _did_ need him. **

**She turned away to find Leon and the rest of STRATCOM had drawn their own weapons. She merely sighed and made a dismissing gesture with one slim hand. "Put those away," she told them scornfully. "I've taken care of it."**

**"Bullshit," Leon said even as he holstered the Blacktail. "Who is that guy, and why did he attack Billy?"**

**She ignored him, leveling a cold look at David, who had been watching in silence. "Talk to him, David. He's going to get himself killed if he doesn't stop this."**

**David shrugged, his dark eyes empty. "We all have to die sometime." There were several gasps from Joseph's former teammates, and he lifted one corner of his mouth in a slight gesture that passed for a smile. "I'll do what I can, Ada."**

**She inclined her head and approached Leon, sighing silently at the anger on his youthful features. She came to a stop before him and attempted to explain. "Joseph was once a member of S.T.A.R.S., Leon. He reawakened in the Arklay Mountains different. His brush with the T-Virus has left him rather unstable, I'm afraid."**

**"That's one word for it," Bruce said with a snort. He put his own weapon away as he added, "I'd have called him crazy, myself."**

**Tom only shook his tawny head, his bright blue eyes somber as they met hers. "You forgot to mention that he's insanely jealous, Ada."**

**She looked startled at the use of her first name even as she shrugged delicately. "There's nothing I can do about that," she said in return. "We _do_ need him."**

**Leon's eyes narrowed on her. "Why?" he asked bluntly. "You're strong enough to take out Wesker on your own."**

**"No, I'm not." Ada ran a hand through her hair, wondering where he'd gotten the idea that she was that powerful. "Wesker is. . .super-human, for lack of a better term. I am nowhere near capable of defeating him. Joseph is the only one of us strong enough to do so."**

**Leon crossed his arms over his chest. "Pull the other one, Ada. I _know_ how powerful you are."**

**"How?" she asked in all seriousness. "You've haven't seen me fight since Raccoon, Leon. You have no idea what I am or am not capable of now."**

**"I read _all_ of the reports you gave me, honey. I know that you're the one who killed Krauser."**

**"Ah." Ada smiled a bit at that. "Krauser was good, but not that good. Frankly, I'm surprised that you couldn't take him."**

**He snorted. "Yeah, that's why you came running when to save me during our first fight."**

**"Really?" Bruce's interest was peaked as his cerulean eyes moved back and forth between them. "How'd she do that?"**

**They both frowned at the intrusion. "She shot the knife out of Jack's hand," Leon muttered with reluctance. **

**"So, I'm a good shot. That doesn't mean I'm super-human, Leon."**

**Ark's expression was uneasy as he asked, "Why would she be super-human, Leon?"**

**"Because she died in Raccoon City," Fongling surprised him by answering.**

**Bruce blinked at that. "How did _you _know that, Fongling?"**

**The two women shared a look. "My government has always been very interested in the activities of the daughter of Dong Biwu's favorite mistress."**

**Ada tossed her head as she looked away. "They can be as interested as they want, so long as they leave me alone."**

**Bruce looked her over and began to laugh. "You're almost royalty," he commented with a grin.**

**She smiled reluctantly. "So, I've been told, Agent McGivern."**

**Leon frowned as he tried and failed to place the name. "Who is Dong Biwu?" he asked finally.**

**Ada merely sighed and shook her head. It was Bruce who answered, "Dong Biwu was basically the president of China for a few years in the '70's."**

**"He was co-chairman of the People's Republic Of China," Fongling added. "He was a very important man."**

**Leon cast her a disbelieving look, and Ada frowned at him. "It's not important, Leon. We have other things to worry about today."**

**Ark listened with wide blue eyes as they ignored the fact that Ada Wong had died eight years ago and been resurrected. He'd assumed that Leon was mistaken all those years ago, that she had been badly injured, not that she had actually _died_. He'd never imagined that Ada had been brought back to life by the T-Virus. "You're infected?" he blurted out incredulously.**

**Ada lifted her chin in a defiant gesture. "I'm not contagious, Agent Thompson, so relax."**

**"But you're a carrier," he protested. He turned to Leon with a stunned expression. "And you've been sleeping with her!"**

**Leon flushed even as his angelic features hardened. "My personal life is none of your business, Ark."**

**"You're crazy, Leon." The other man shook his dark head. "Aren't you worried about being infected?"**

**Ada's eyes narrowed slightly, hurt lingering in their sapphire depths, as well as a resignation that shocked him. "I'll believe I'll leave this to you, Leon. Join us when you're done justifying my existence to your men."**

**Leon winced as she turned on her heel and walked away. He'd never seen Ada look so vulnerable, and he didn't like it. "Damn it, Ark--"**

**"You've seen firsthand what the T-Virus can do," Ark interrupted in a hushed voice. "I know you still have nightmares about Raccoon City. Why would you risk infection by being with _her_?"**

**"Half of my nightmares are of her death," Leon hissed angrily. "It's not Ada's fault she died in Raccoon, or that Wesker brought her back."**

**"Why are you defending her?" Ark eyed his commander with sudden mistrust. "She's not human, Leon. She shouldn't exist."**

**"What about Leon and I?" Tom asked, an edge to his normally even voice. "We've both been infected by parasites. Does that make us less human than you?"**

**"You were able to cure yourself, Tom." Ark's eyes darkened dramatically. "You don't know what the T-Virus can do. You haven't seen the things the rest of us have. You don't understand--"**

**Tom cut him off. "I understand, Ark. I watched a ship full of dead Russian soldiers come back to life. They might not have been zombies, but they were close enough for me. I was infected _twice._ By all rights, I should have become one of them. It was just dumb luck that I was able to rid myself of infection. Ada obviously wasn't so lucky."**

**"But--"**

**"No buts." Leon stepped closer, invading the hell out of his personal space. "Ada is not a monster, and you will _not_ treat her like one."**

**Ark took a quick step back. "And here I thought you hated her, Leon."**

**"Back off!" he all but snarled. "I never want to hear you talk about her like this, again. The subject is closed. Got it?"**

**"Got it." Ark looked angry himself as he agreed. "I'm going to find Billy. Excuse me."**

**Leon watched him go with a combination of remorse and relief. He didn't regret defending Ada, but he hated that Ark had forced him to. Her life--and death--was no one's business but her own. As Tom had said, Ada hadn't been lucky enough to be cured. She hadn't had any allies except him in Raccoon City, and he would have had no clue how to save her, if he'd even known it was possible. He hadn't known of the existence of the Daylight vaccine. All he could do was exactly what he had done; mourn her death while trying to get Claire and Sherry out of that nightmare.**

**God, but he'd hated leaving her behind, he thought with remembered sorrow. He hadn't loved her as she loved him, but he had genuinely cared for her. She had become incredibly important to him in the few short hours he'd known her, and he had mourned her death deeply. Not even the love he'd come to feel for Claire had been able to change that.**

**And Ark had had the gall to stand there and blame her for what others had done to her. Ada had died protecting him, and she hadn't regretted it. In her mind, it had been a fair trade. He'd never agreed, but he had been so grateful to discover that she was alive that he hadn't cared about how. He'd known that she was probably infected from the first moment he'd seen her in Spain. It simply hadn't mattered to him. It never would.**

**---------------------------------**

**Billy strode down the hall, into a large room which had once served as living quarters for some of the facility's staff. He tossed the bag on one of the beds, right next to the duffel bag that held his stash of weapons. He ignored Luis as he unzipped the bag and pulled out his STRATCOM uniform. He set it aside and withdrew the large attaché case that held his official weaponry. Thanks to Ada, he couldn't end his miserable existence today, which meant that he would need all of these fancy, high-powered guns.**

**"Shit!" he exclaimed, glaring down at the remnants of his 'new' life. Just like before, he'd somehow managed to fuck things up, and had lost everything. It didn't matter what he did or what choices he made, the end result was always the same, and he was fucking tired of it.**

**He tossed his jacket on the bed, wishing that he didn't have to leave it behind. He'd been through more than one tight spot with it, and he'd always made it out. This time was different, of course, but he'd still feel better if he had it with him. Unfortunately, it wasn't a part of the STRATCOM uniform.**

**Speaking of. . .Billy reached for his uniform and hesitated. After what had happened this morning, he truly didn't feel he had the right to wear it. He'd never really belonged in STRATCOM, although he'd always hoped that things would change and he'd be accepted. That hadn't happened, and it left a sour taste in his mouth.**

**Leon had designed their uniforms himself, and it showed. So dark a blue that they were nearly black, they resembled the R.P.D. uniform the younger man had worn so briefly. The only difference was the shade of blue, and the gray letters which spelled STRATCOM across the front and back. He hadn't actually worn it on a mission, but he'd been required to wear it for meetings and drills. Leon had always been big on being prepared.**

**He heaved a heavy sigh and pulled his shirt over his head. He was procrastinating, and he knew it. The last thing he wanted to do was go back in there and face everything he'd already lost. Having STRATCOM here was bad enough; facing Rebecca again was something he'd give anything to avoid. **

**To this day, she didn't know that he'd seen her with Olivera. She'd been so young when she promised to wait for him, Billy thought with a pang. She had been eighteen when he'd met her aboard the Ecliptic Express, and only a year older when she'd gotten involved with Carlos. She had made a mistake. He was the asshole who couldn't forgive her for it, and he'd never seen the point of hurting her by telling her he knew.**

**And it would hurt her, he acknowledged silently. She had been trying to contact him through Leon for seven years. She honestly believed that she still loved him, and his silence had to have hurt her. But it was better than the rage that only grew stronger with each passing day. Someday he was going to lose it completely, and he didn't want her anywhere near him when that happened. Losing her had crippled him emotionally. If he ever touched her in anger, it would kill what little was left of himself, and that was a chance he simply couldn't take.**

**No, he thought as he pulled his shirt over his head, it was better that he find a way to end it now, before something irrevocable happened. He tossed the shirt aside and reached for his belt. "How long are you going to hang around, Sera?"**

**"Long enough to make sure you don't use any of those guns," Luis answered quipped lightly.**

**Billy frowned at him. "I told Ada that I wouldn't do anything today, and I meant it."**

**"After what I saw with that sweet little _belleza, _I'm worried about you, _amigo_."**

**"You should be." He sighed again. "I'm losing it again, Luis."**

**Luis frowned at that. "You're doing better than you ever have, Billy. This thing with Leon is only a temporary setback. Soon enough, you'll--"**

**"You don't understand, Sera." He raked his hair back from his face in a frustrated gesture. "Every setback, no matter how small, completely fucks me up. I have to fight flashbacks every waking moment, and I have nightmares every time I close my eyes. There's no peace, Luis, and I can't cope anymore." **

**"How long has this been happening?" the Spaniard asked sharply.**

**"Every day since I returned," Billy answered flatly. "I thought I'd get better once my name was cleared and I got some help. That freakin' shrink they gave me hasn't done a damned bit of good, and people still look at me like they expect me to kill them at any moment. I can't sleep, and I can't be around people, because I never know what's going to trigger a flashback."**

**"I can't even be around Leon's friends for very long," he continued, agitated. "STRATCOM can't stand me, and I have trouble just being civil to them. Hell, to anyone."**

**"Does Leon know any of this?" Luis asked in a quiet voice.**

**Billy only shook his head, scattering his overlong hair. "Leon thinks I'm doing well, because I've been able to hide it. But I'm not going to be able to much longer, Luis. I'm afraid of what's going to happen. I don't even know what I'm capable of anymore."**

**The other man nodded, his aquiline features taking on a thoughtful cast. "Then, you should stay with Ada and I once this was over."**

**Billy blinked with obvious surprise. "I thought you two were all ready to sacrifice yourselves to kill Wesker."**

**"We are," Luis said with a shrug. "It doesn't mean that either of us _want_ to die, Billy. Just that we're prepared to."**

**"No," Billy disagreed, "Ada's ready to let go. You can see it in her eyes."**

**The Spaniard nodded, his jet hair swinging with the motion. _"Si,_ she's ready to die, but she won't take her own life. She promised me that she wouldn't."**

**"And what about you?" Billy asked in a quiet voice. "I know you hate being what you are."**

**"I'm still working on a cure," Luis responded with another shrug. "Someday, I'll find one, and we'll both be human again."**

**He fell silent as he considered the other man's words. "I'll think about it," he said finally. "If we survive this, and I don't get any better, I'll contact Ada. But only as a last resort," he added hastily. "I refuse to be a burden to anyone."**

**Luis rolled his pale eyes. "Ada can afford another boy-toy, _amigo."_**

**Billy let out a startled laugh. "Give me a break, Sera. I know you're not doing her."**

**"No, more's the pity," Luis said with a mock sigh.**

**He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. It was nice to know that he had friends like this, even though he was a rude bastard. "Thank you, Luis."**

**"Anytime, _amigo."_**

**"Now, get out."**

**Luis only chuckled and slipped out the door, leaving it cracked behind him. Billy muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath, and he heard Luis respond in kind--in Spanish, of course. He grinned to himself as he quickly shed the rest of his clothes and donned his uniform. He might depressed and suicidal, but he would deal with that. For now, it was enough to know that Ada and Luis cared for him enough to worry about him. He only wished that Leon still did, too.**

**The tension immediately returned, settling in his shoulders and behind his eyes. He thrust thoughts of the younger man aside and concentrated on what he was doing right then--preparing for battle. He dragged the attaché case towards him and made sure every weapon he had was fully loaded. He attached a holster to his right leg, and put the Broken Butterfly in it. Sure, it only held fourteen bullets, but it reminded him of the magnum revolver he'd used to finish off the Queen Leech back in the Arklay Mountains. Rebecca had tossed him the magnum as a last resort, after 'Queenie' had been weakened by sunlight.**

**Billy smiled at the memory. The bitch had died, and then they'd run for their lives as the Arkham Training Facility began to collapse around them. Once outside, Rebecca had declared him dead and snatched his dogtags off his neck. He had fallen in love with her then, when she'd showed her absolute trust in him by letting a wanted felon go. **

**He did his best not to think about their relationship ended. He really did prefer to remember her as the spunky little girl who'd willingly gone through hell with him. Unfortunately, his mind betrayed him all too often, and he was left with nothing but pain and rage.**

**The door opened and he looked up, his cobalt eyes narrowing as he saw that it wasn't Luis. "What are _you_ doing here?"**

**Ark's too-young features reflected uncertainty as he stepped into the room. "I was worried about you," he answered honestly. "I wanted to make sure you were all right."**

**"Why?" Billy asked bluntly. "You guys don't give a fuck about me. You never have."**

**"That's not true," Ark protested. "You've never given us a chance, Billy."**

**He made a rude sound. "Tom doesn't care about me at all, Bruce thinks I'm a prick, and you're scared of me."**

**Ark flushed guiltily. "Only because I never know what to expect," he said with a sigh. "You're fine one minute, and pissed at the world the next. You're too damned moody, Billy."**

**"There's nothing I can about that," Billy muttered as he looked away. "I'm not normal, and I probably never will be. Even your son's figured that one out, Thompson."**

**"Speaking of Lott," Billy shot him a dark look, and Ark only shrugged. "My son cares about you, Billy. He _trusts_ you, and after what happened to him on Sheena Island, he doesn't trust anyone. That tells me all I really need to know about you."**

** "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked impatiently. **

**"It means that you're family." He snorted his disbelief, and Ark crossed his arms over his chest, his features taking on a stubborn cast. "I mean it, Billy. You're family, now. If you need a place to stay when we get back home, you can stay with us. I'm sure Lott would be thrilled to have you there," he added for good measure.**

**Billy frowned, his confusion obvious. "Okay," he said slowly, wondering what the hell was going on. That was twice in less than hour that he had been offered a place to stay, and he didn't understand it. "Uh, thanks, Ark."**

**"Sure thing, Billy." Ark uncrossed his arms and stepped towards the door, pausing to throw over his shoulder, "Oh, and don't worry about Leon. He's already promised to apologize to you for his temper tantrum. You're still a member of STRATCOM."**

**He left the room, leaving Billy staring after him, nonplussed. What the fuck was going on around here? he asked himself bewilderedly. With the exception of Luis, who never let anything bother him, most of the people he knew couldn't stand him. They went out their way to avoid him, and as much as it hurt, he understood. He didn't like being around himself, either.**

**He quickly finished checking his weapons, wanting to get out of this room before Rebecca or--even worse--Olivera decided to come in and have a heart-to-heart with him. Olivera would end up dead, and as for Rebecca. . .**

**Billy shook his head and thrust thoughts of her away. He reached for his shoulder-holster and strapped it into place, securing his survival knife in it's sheath. He picked a secondary weapon, the enhanced semi-automatic Matilda, and slid it into the holster. It had come with a stock to improve accuracy, but he'd never been able to fire it properly with it attached, so he never bothered to use it. This would be the first time he'd used the Matilda in an actual battle situation, but he thought he'd do all right. He was an excellent shot, if nothing else.**

**He closed the attaché case and secured it, then pulled a thin black band from his jeans pockets. He combed his rich, auburn-tinted brown hair back from his face and secured it with the band. He hated having long hair, but thanks to the U.S. Army, he'd never wear it short again. Scars like his weren't meant to viewed by normal people. **

**Billy reached into the duffel bag that held his personal cache of weapons, digging into a side pocket until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the small, faded picture and gazed at it for a moment. Leon had found this back in Raccoon City, stashed in Wesker's desk in the S.T.A.R.S. office. He'd given it to Billy nearly eight years ago, before his relationship with Rebecca had effectively imploded. It was his most treasured possession.**

**Rebecca was smiling as she held a basketball, athletic clothes encasing her petite frame. A green ribbon was tied around her forehead, and sweat glistened on her creamy skin. Her pale green eyes were alight with laughter, a look had only seen once before, and never expected to see again.**

**He tucked the picture into his inform, so that it sat in a small pocket right over his heart. He might be made as hell at Rebecca for what she had done, but he would never stop loving her. She was always with him. When he finally ended his miserable existence, he would be found with that picture in his hand, and she would finally know that she had been loved.**

**Billy rubbed the ache in his heart as he shook himself back to awareness. Joseph might hate him because Ada defended him, but he had been right. They had wasted too much time on him. There was so much to be done, and the odds really were against them in this. If any of them survived today, it would be a miracle.**

**---------------------------------**

**"Are you okay, Lee?"**

**Leon's head jerked up at the soft-spoken question. He tore his eyes from Ada's well-rounded form and Tom's concerned gaze. "Thanks, for speaking up before," he said in lieu of answer. "You didn't have to, you know."**

**"Yes, I did," Tom returned with a shrug. "Ark's never had to question his own humanity, not even when he thought he was Vincent. You and I have. We both know what it's like to come close to losing yourself."**

**"Yeah." Leon released a harsh breath and looked at Bruce, who's expression reflected boredom as he listened to Joseph Frost speak. "Bruce?" The other man turned towards him and he said, "Is Ada's. . .condition going to be a problem for you?"**

**"Nah," Bruce said with a shake of his head. "She's still hot, and she's still crazy about you, so she's good with me."**

**_"Don gua."_ Fongling frowned at him even as she sidled closer to him. "She is not that hot, Bruce."**

**He grinned at the jealousy she didn't bother to hide. "Sure she is, sweetheart." **

**Her black eyes narrowed dangerously on his, and he hugged her to him. "No woman is as hot as you are, Fongling. Not even Ada Wong," he added with a laugh.**

**She sniffed disdainfully. "She'd better not be," she muttered in warning.**

**Tom laughed, liking Fongling more and more every second. She kept McGivern in line, something he hadn't thought possible. When he'd first joined STRATCOM, he'd wondered how someone as irresponsible as Bruce had become second-in-command. Once they'd actually gone on a mission, he had understood. No matter how irreverent the man might seem, he was a consummate professional in the field. He was only a pain in the ass out of it.**

**He caught Leon watching Ada again as she talked with a tall, dark-haired man he didn't recognize. Leon might be mad as hell at her right now, but he still cared for her, whether he realized it or not. His defense of her was all the proof Tom needed of that. He only hoped that they would be able to work out their differences. Leon needed someone in his life who's loyalty was only to him. Ada was that person, regardless of whether or not he was willing to admit it.**

**Leon's clear blue eyes were locked on Ada's slim form as she listened to the dark-haired stranger talk in low tones. This was the same man she'd asked to intervene with Joseph Frost. Who was he that Ada would ask him for anything? After watching Frost go after Billy, he'd assumed that he was the _El Jafe _that Luis had spoken of. What if he'd been wrong? What if this man, the one who held Ada's attention so thoroughly, was the man in charge here?**

**Ark rejoined them, his youthful features wearing a pleased expression. He followed his commander's gaze to the unknown man. "Do you know him, Leon?"**

**Leon shook his head negatively. "I heard Ada call him David, but he's not familiar to me."**

**The other man nodded. "We should find out who he is, then. We need to know all the players in this."**

**"Yes, that might help," Fongling muttered facetiously.**

**Tom merely chuckled. "Lead the way, Lee."**

**Leon groaned at that. "Please, no puns, Tom. I get enough of that from Bruce."**

**"Yeah, _I'm_ the comic relief here, Hansen, not you."**

**"Come on," Leon said abruptly, his smile fading. He wanted to know who this man was, and how he was commanding the attention of _his_ woman. He frowned and thrust the thought away. Ada wasn't his, and she never would be. Period. No woman of his would ever betray him the way that she had!**

**She looked up as he and his team approached the table, a wary look in her deep blue eyes. After Ark's behavior, he really couldn't blame her for that. He forced his anger aside and jerked his head in the direction of the stranger, focusing on business. "Introduce us, Ada."**

**She lifted one sable brow at the imperious tone he used even as she said, "Leon, this is David King. David, Leon Kennedy."**

**Leon frowned as the name tugged at him memory. He couldn't quite remember where he'd heard the name David King before. He only knew that he _had_ heard it, and that it was significant. He slowly extended his hand, hoping that the other man would enlighten him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. King."**

**David merely gazed at him, his expression suggesting that he didn't share the sentiment, as he folded his arms over his chest. After listening to Billy tell Luis how this man had treated he and Ada, he wanted nothing to do with him. STRATCOM had no vested interest in this; Kennedy was only here to find his daughter. Unlike the rest of them, he'd had no personal dealings with Albert Wesker. He wasn't half the man that his friend Kevin Ryman had been, and David hated having to waste time on him.**

**"You don't belong here," David said bluntly, smiling thinly as the younger man dropped his hand with an angry expression. "You'll only slow us down, Agent Kennedy. That said, welcome aboard, and try not to die on us."**

**Leon's eyes narrowed on the man with the too-deep voice and the inscrutable expression. "Do I know you?" he asked carefully.**

**"No."**

**"Then, what's with the attitude?" Bruce inserted frowningly.**

**David's gaze flicked to him only briefly before settling on Leon once more. "You don't recognize me, do you?" he asked finally.**

**"No, I don't," Leon returned flatly. "So, why don't you tell who the hell you are, and why you dislike me."**

**"I 'dislike' you because you've hurt two people I care about. As for who I am. . ." David shrugged negligently. "I'm the man Kevin Ryman sacrificed his life to save in Raccoon City."**

**Bright blue eyes widened, and David grunted. "That's right. Forgot all about Kevin, didn't you?"**

**"Of course not," Leon said, sorrow filling him as he thought of his long-dead friend. "He was one of my closest friends."**

**"That's why you didn't bother coming to the memorial service," David said with scorn.**

**"I couldn't," Leon snapped with obvious guilt. "I'd just entered The Program, and I couldn't get permission to leave."**

**"And I quit my job to return to the Arklay Mountains and pay my respects," David returned harshly. **

**"David." Ada reached out and set a hand on his arm, a delicate frown pulling her brows together. "Leon was forced into The Program. He truly couldn't get away."**

**David glanced down at her with a surprise he couldn't hide as she touched him for the first time. He calmly stepped out of her reach, and she smiled wryly as she withdrew her hand. They're relationship had never been like that, and never would be. She had crossed a line with that casual touch, and she knew it. He didn't call her on it, merely went on as though nothing had happened.**

**"Thanks to Red," he nodded in Steve's direction, "we have a complete list of every security code Wesker has ever used in his facility. He and I should be able to get you past the fingerprint verification panels and the retinal scanners. We have codes for nearly everything else."**

**He glanced at Joseph, who nodded and immediately took over. "The only area we don't have a code for is Wesker's central laboratory."**

**Steve forward, nodding his red head. "Alby changes the codes in there every twelve hours like clockwork. He's paranoid when it comes to his personal projects," he explained tensely. "We can get inside the lab itself, but freeing Sherry is going to be the hard part. I can probably hack into the system, but Alby's going to know the minute I do. We won't have much time to--"**

**"Wait a minute," Claire cut in, her eyes cerulean eyes wide with dread as she set a hand on his arm. "Why is Wesker keeping Sherry in his lab?"**

**"Claire. . ." Steve gazed down at her with an uncomfortable expression, then sighed heavily. "He keeps her in the tank, Claire."**

**"The tank?" she repeated dumbly. "What's that supposed to mean?"**

**He only shook his head as his courage failed him. He shot Ada a pleading glance, and she inclined her head regally. "Wesker came across some of William Birkin's files in Raccoon City. What he read in them led him to believe that there was something," she paused for a moment before using Wesker's own word, "'special' about his child."**

**Unease coiled in the pit of Leon's stomach. "Wesker's file said that she was considered an active project." **

**Ada nodded slowly, her eyes locked on his, as she attempted to explain, "Wesker was given a great deal of freedom by The Organization. One of the conditions of his employment was that he be able to work on personal experiments with no threat of interference."**

**"And _Sherry_ is one of these experiments?!" Claire gasped, incredulous.**

**"She's okay, Claire," Steve told her hastily. "Really. Ada and I ruined all of the experiments that could've hurt her."**

**"But he still has her, Steve!" She stared at him with stricken blue eyes. "Oh, God! He's been experimenting on her for eight years, and you just left her there? How could you?!"**

**Joseph's reddish eyes narrowed on her angrily. "Leave him alone!" he snapped. "He's been Wesker's prisoner for eight years himself. Just how was he supposed to get Birkin's brat out of there when he couldn't escape himself?"**

**"Don't call her that!" Claire yelled, more than happy to turn her anger on someone besides Steve Burnside. "Sherry is like a daughter to me. She's an innocent in all of this. She's not to blame for anything her parents did!"**

**"Of course, she's not," Ada inserted smoothly. She rounded the table, placing herself between Joseph and the enraged young woman. "Sherry hasn't been harmed, Miss Redfield. As Steve said, he and I have seen to it. I'm sorry that we couldn't free her sooner, but we have an opportunity to do so now. Let's not waste it by arguing amongst ourselves."**

**_"You."_ Claire took an aggressive step towards her, her cerulean eyes flashing in warning. "You were working with Wesker in Raccoon City. You've been working with him all along. You _knew_ that he had Sherry, and you never did anything to help her. You left her in that-that monster's hands!"**

**Ada had to fight to keep her expression neutral as the girl unknowingly echoed Leon's earlier words. Self-righteous little bitch! she thought furiously. Claire Redfield had no idea what she had sacrificed in her quest to free Sherry Birkin. She had become Wesker's _lover,_ for God's sake! She'd let that monster touch her in a wasted effort to gain his trust. She had spent eight years trying to free Leon's daughter, when she could have had her revenge years ago by sacrificing her.**

**"We all do what we have to, Miss Redfield," Ada said at length. "All I ask is that you not blame Steve. He's had very little choice in this matter."**

**"Ada. . ." Steve's voice trailed off as he shook his head. "She doesn't understand, Ada. I'll explain it to her and--"**

**"Don't bother." She managed a tight smile for the young man's benefit. "It will change nothing, and we're out of time."**

**She turned on her heel and walked away, regaining her place beside David. She didn't trust herself not to shoot the little twit who held Leon's heart so thoroughly. She leveled a cool glance at Leon, expecting to see the same condemnation in his eyes. She was surprised to find that it _wasn't_ there, but she cringed at what she did see. Pain radiated from those crystal-blue depths, and she quickly looked away. She hated the fact that she could do nothing to ease him. How could she, when she was responsible for putting it there in the first place?**

**The metal doors opened, and Billy strode into the room, Luis fast on his heels. He had pulled his hair back away from his face, exposing the scars he usually tried so hard to hide. His cobalt eyes were dark as he glanced around the room, his expression forbidding, and she knew that he was waiting for a negative reaction. Most people responded with a gasp and a horrified stare, never thinking to censor their reaction until it was too late.**

**He wasn't disappointed, only surprised, as it was Steve who gaped at him. "Holy shit, Billy! No wonder you wear your hair so long!" he exclaimed tactlessly. "What the hell happened to you?"**

**The older man smiled cynically. "A parting gift from the military, kid. Don't sweat it."**

**"Damn, and I thought Umbrella was bad!"**

**Billy only shrugged, avoiding Rebecca's shimmering green gaze, as she tried to catch his eye. "Shit happens, Red."**

**"That it does, _amigo." _Luis sidled past him, walking around STRATCOM, to join Ada. "You coming?"**

**He frowned darkly but ignored the invitation, taking his place with his former teammates. He might not belong in STRATCOM, but until this mission was over, his place was with them. He stood next to Tom, who only nodded at him, his expression as serene as ever. He returned the gesture curtly, crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze going to Ada. He was done with the drama. This was her show, and it was damn time they got it underway.**

**She inclined her head regally and reached under the table. She placed the same briefcase she had brought to Leon's earlier on the table, one hand placed protectively over it, and he hid a wince. He wondered how Leon was going to react to the knowledge of Ada's parentage, then thrust the thought aside. Leon might be pissed as hell at her, but he wouldn't blame her for something she had no control over. If nothing else, Billy was sure of that.**

**Ada opened her mouth to speak when yet another man came strolling through the open doorway. Her sapphire eyes narrowed briefly as he came to a stop across from her, her dislike obvious. "You're late, Hunk."**

**The Mercenary known as Mr. Death only snorted as he unzipped his tactical vest. "I'm here, aren't I?" he questioned rhetorically. "Quit bitching and let's get on with this."**

**His hard green gaze shifted to Leon, and a slow smile spread across his weathered features. "How's it goin', Rookie?"**

**"Shit," Leon exclaimed with feeling. "What are _you_ doing here, Death?"**

**"I'm here to kill an asshole named Wesker." Hunk's smile turned wicked. "How's that shoulder, Kennedy? You all healed up?"**

**Leon's clear blue gaze glinted as memories of their first--and only--encounter on a deserted rooftop flashed through his mind. "I'm not a rookie anymore," he said with cold deliberation. "Anytime you want to try that again, I'm game."**

**Hunk only laughed as he set his weapons case on the floor beside him. "Hey, blame Wesker, kid. He's the one who paid me to make the hit."**

**"Now is not the time to discuss _that_," Ada told him flatly. **

**The mercenary shrugged his broad shoulders once. "I needed the money," he said, not adding that Frost had given him a monetary bonus for the effort. He didn't think she'd appreciate it, and as crazy as the man undoubtedly was, they _did_ need him to whack Wesker. "It wasn't personal or anything. Just business."**

**"You never should have taken the contract," she snapped angrily. "Leon was under _my_ protection. You knew it was hands-off."**

**"Well, it's not like you didn't get yours back, honey." Hunk rubbed the spot on his own shoulder where this gorgeous, deadly viper of a woman had wounded him in retaliation. "I've still got the scar from that shiv you call a knife to prove it."**

**"Good," Ada stated flatly. "It was the very least you deserved for going against me."**

**He snorted, and Leon's glance cut back and forth between them. For once, Ada didn't seem the least bit cold. She was angry as hell, and she wasn't even trying to hide it. Her stunning, cat-like sapphire eyes flashed with the force of her feelings as she glared at the mercenary, and he had no problem believing her words. As incredible as it seemed, Ada actually done it. She had heard of Death's attempt on his life and had gone after the legendary mercenary to even the score!**

**He cleared his throat and took a half-step towards her. "Ada?"**

**Ada shook her raven head negatively. "It's in past, Leon. Let's leave it there, shall we?"**

**He studied her for a long moment before nodding curtly. "Later, then."**

**She let out a quiet breath of relief and turned back to Hunk, who was looked bored as he crossed his hands over his chest. She felt the leather beneath her hands and slowly pushed the briefcase across the table. The mercenary frowned down at it, then froze, his hazel eyes widening fractionally as he spied the golden initials.**

**"I haven't thought about this one in years." He reached out and lifted the briefcase, studying it for a moment before putting it down. "Who was he to you?" he asked finally.**

**Ada met and held his gaze. "My father," she replied simply.**

**Hunk cursed as he realized just what she was saying. "Spenser told me that the old man didn't have any family."**

**"Spenser lied," she returned flatly.**

**"Shit!" He shoved the case back at her, his hard features showing furious reluctance even as he said, "Consider us even for John, then."**

**"Are you sure?" she asked quietly, hiding her relief--and her guilt.**

**Hunk scowled at her, his displeasure clear. "Yes, I'm sure," he all but growled.**

**"Then, it's done." Ada grabbed the leather case and quickly stashed back under the table. "Now, back to business. We--"**

**"Wait a minute," Leon broke in. "I thought your father was Chinese?" She shook her head negatively, and he asked, "Then, who was your father, and why are you even?"**

**"She killed my brother." Hunk smirked at her once more. "And she's pissed because I'm the one of mercs who killed her old man."**

**"I did not kill John." She shot him a dark look in return. "My father was a scientist. He was one of the original founders of Umbrella Inc." She turned to Leon with a defiant expression. "His name was Dr. James Marcus."**

**Rebecca gasped, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Oh my God," she exclaimed with shock. "That means that the-the man that Billy and I killed was. . ."**

**Billy snorted at that. "We killed a giant leech, Rebecca. Not a man."**

**"But, Billy--"**

**"Billy's right. That monster was _not_ my father," Ada stated emphatically. "My father was killed ten years before you and he stumbled into the Arkham Facility. He was murdered by two U.S.F.U. members, on the orders of Sir Ozwell Spencer, and under the supervision of William Birkin and Albert Wesker."**

**"Birkin died in Raccoon City," she continued, leveling a satisfied smile at Leon's stunned features, "at Leon's hands. Albert, however, managed to buy his way into The Agency's good graces. This has been my first opportunity to exact my revenge, and only because he's chosen to betray them." **

**"He'll die," Joseph promised her in a rumble. "I'll make sure of it, Ada."**

**She smiled with cold determination. "I know you will, Joseph."**

**Leon stood there in stunned silence, shocked by all he had heard. Suddenly, everything made sense. Ada had always worked to undermine Umbrella. She'd been on a mission to steal the G-Virus when he met her, and had been involved in a plot to steal the T-Virus before that. He hadn't realized that she had been working with Wesker back then, but he hadn't been surprised by the knowledge, just disappointed. Now, he knew just why she hated Umbrella Inc. so passionately.**

**And why she had been willing to sacrifice Sherry, he thought heatedly. She hated Albert Wesker for killing her father. She was willing to do anything, use anyone, to get her revenge. His daughter didn't mean shit to her, she was just a way to draw him into this. Put simply, she needed his help.**

**The depth of her duplicity staggered him. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he thought of the show she'd put on this morning. She'd played the part of the vulnerable woman, telling him that she loved him, begging him to stay out of this for his own safety. She knew him well enough to know how he would react, and she had played him like the pro that she was. **

**His throat tightened with emotion and he hastily reigned in his emotions. All these years, he'd believed that she cared for him, that she _loved_ him. Ada Wong didn't give a shit about him. She never had, and it was time to let her go.**

**Never again, Leon told himself furiously. Once this was over, he would make it clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. He would tell her to stay out of his life, and she would, because she wouldn't need him any longer. **

**He took a surreptitious step back, away from her, unable to bear the close proximity. Luis lifted his head, his aquiline features inquiring, and Leon managed a tight smile. Ada had probably played the same game with him, he thought heavily. Luis obviously cared for her, and he seemed to be loyal. Just like Billy was. Leon winced at the thought. Had she seduced the other man, too?**

**No, Leon assured himself quickly. Billy loved Rebecca. He hadn't even _looked_ at another woman in eight years. Ada wouldn't have been able to get her hooks into him that way. Billy seemed to see her as a friend, so that must have been how she'd presented herself.**

**Now, he knew why Luis had been so worried about Joseph Frost's reaction to him. The man was in love with Ada, an emotion she had probably gone to great lengths to foster in him. Like everyone else, Frost obviously believed that she _cared_ for him, when the truth was anything but.**

**"Fuck," he whispered under his breath, rubbing a sudden ache behind his eyes. It had all been a lie, he thought sadly. The woman he'd met in R.P.D. hadn't been real. She had been a work of fiction, created by the greatest actress he'd ever known. Ada Wong--or whatever her name really was--didn't exist at all.**

**"Lee?"**

**His head whipped around at the soft-spoken inquiry. "Yeah, Tom?"**

**"What is it?" the other man asked in a low voice.**

**Leon only shook his head negatively, hoping Tom would take the hint. He fell silent, and Leon breathed a sigh of relief. He simply couldn't deal with this right now. As he'd always done, he pushed his grief aside and concentrated on the moment. There would be enough time for grieving once he brought Sherry home where she belonged.**

**He clung to that thought, using it as a life-line, a way to keep himself centered in the midst of all the lies and betrayal. His daughter was finally going to be returned to him. Nothing mattered but that.**


	7. Chapter 7

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Leon (sigh) or any of the other characters in the work below. **

**Synopsis: This is another Leon fic. I've added characters from Survivor and Dead Aim, because they're rarely used, and Bruce interests me (even if his nemesis was an anime-villain reject). S.T.A.R.S. will make an appearance, because it's not Resident Evil without them. Any characters from any other games are there because I liked the characters, but this is NOT a crossover. **

**Author's Note: This started out as a Leon/Ada fic, but it's grown a bit since then. The main story still belongs to them, but I couldn't resist delving into the lives of some of the supporting characters (like Billy Coen). Still, I hope you'll continue to read the story, and enjoy it.**

**Note: You'll have noticed by now that I mingled both scenarios. Leon B had my favorite Ada death scene, but I needed the confession from Leon A for the story. That's why I had Birkin kill her in the Power Room instead of Mr.X.**

**Ada might be Chinese, but no full-blooded Chinese woman would have blue eyes, so I gave her an American father. Just an FYI for youJ**

**Oh, and yes, Billy was a Marine. I'll explain the Army bit later on in the story.**

**Just a short chapter to let you all know that I haven't forgotten the story. RL just gets in the way--a lot.**

**RESIDENT EVIL: BROKEN**

**Chapter Seven **

**Leon glanced around the large, dilapidated control room, gauging everyone's reactions to the news they had just received. Jill and Carlos both looked ill as they shared a copy of the file he himself had just finished reading. The B.O.W.s. that Wesker had managed to create were truly monstrous, and he was beginning to understand why both Luis and Ada had asked him to bow out of this one. The chances of survival were so slim that even _he _was beginning to worry.**

**"Leon, are sure about this?"**

**Leon looked up to find Bruce standing beside him. "You've read this," he said, gesturing towards the open folder. "What do you think?"**

**"I think your friend Luis was right," he stated. "We're all going to die today."**

**He lifted one tawny brow at that. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were actually scared, Bruce."**

**"I am," Bruce admitted with shrugging. "You saw those reports, Leon. Those B.O.W.s are beyond anything we've ever even attempted to take on. Just the fact Wesker's managed to improve the Nemesis model is enough to terrify me, and I wasn't one of the one of the people he hunted."**

**Hee nodded towards S.T.A.R.S., and Jill Valentine in particular. "You saw the look on her face, Leon. You've heard the stories, same as I have. I don't happen to have a giant laser gun handy. How about you?"**

**"Of course not," Leon answered impatiently. "But Wesker has Sherry. I don't have any choice in the matter. I _have_ to go. You can stay behind, if that's what you want, but I have to rescue my daughter."**

**The other man only sighed and shook his head. "You're crazy if you think that I'd let you go in there without me," he declared. "You'd probably get yourself killed by the first B.O.W. you came across if I wasn't there to protect you."**

**Leon frowned in mock indignation. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, McGivern."**

**Tom laughed from across the table, the carefree sound totally out of character for usually mild-mannered man. "Don't worry, Bruce," he drawled. "We'll all be there to make sure Leon doesn't fall until at least the third wave hits us."**

**Fongling nodded, her ebony eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth, as she chimed in. "Yes, Leon, you will survive a little longer because _I_ am there to watch your back, as well."**

**"Oh, brother," Ark said with a shake of his head.**

**"Yeah, it's getting deep in here," Billy mumbled under his breath in agreement.**

**"And me without my waders," Luis drawled as he joined them.**

**Leon smiled faintly, even as he marveled that the Spaniard was alive and well and part of Ada's madness. "What about you?" he asked in a quiet voice. "I'm here for Sherry. Why are you a part of this, Luis?"**

**The taller man shrugged. "It's the right thing to do," he said simply.**

**Leon knew his doubt showed as he straightened to his full height. "Is that why you helped me in Spain?" he asked distrustfully.**

**"No, that was guilt," Luis answered honestly. "After I saw just what Saddler was doing with the Las Plagas, I had to find a way to redeem myself. Helping you and Ashley was a way to do that."**

**"And Ada?" he said, unable to hide his anger. "Is that why you were helping her?"**

**"In part." Luis sighed heavily. "I'd tried to contact a friend from Cambridge, and that's how she found me. I didn't know that John had gone to work for Umbrella, or that he'd died in the Spenser Mansion. I was terrified of Saddler, of what I'd helped him do, and I wanted a way out. Ada offered me one."**

**Leon grunted. "For a price, right?" **

**Luis gazed at him for a long moment before nodding. _"Si,"_ he answered simply. The younger man cast a rage-filled glance in Ada's direction, and he quickly shook his head. "My death wasn't her fault, Leon."**

**"Bullshit," Leon spat succinctly. "If she hadn't asked you to retrieve the sample--"**

**"I offered to." At his surprised look, Luis explained, "I knew what Saddler was planning. He fully intended to use the Las Plagas to take over the world. It would have taken years, but he could have done it. I knew that I had to find a way to stop him, and that meant sneaking a sample out of Spain, so that it could be studied."**

**"But--"**

**"No buts, cop." Luis' pale eyes narrowed in uncharacteristic anger. "_I_ made the decision to work for Saddler. I'm the one who let my fascination with the parasite blind me to Saddler's true purpose. I died because I of the decisions I myself made. The fault lies with me. Not you, not Ada, not even Saddler. _Me,_" he added with emphasis.**

**Leon looked away, his youthful features reflecting the guilt he still felt. "I should have been able to save you," he said at length, raising stark blue eyes to Luis' own. "There had to have been a way to keep Saddler from--"**

**"There wasn't," Luis cut in, his voice gentling. "You know it as well as I do."**

**The younger man fell silent, his expressive features showing his misery, and Luis smiled crookedly. "What bothers you the most, cop? The fact that I died, the fact that you couldn't save me, or the fact that Ada had to use the Tyrant Virus to bring me back?"**

**Leon's head came up quickly. "I don't care about that, Luis."**

**"No?" Luis glanced over his shoulder, his pale blue gaze touching on Ada, before swinging back to his own. "Are you sure about that, _amigo?"_**

**"Yes," Leon hissed, insulted by the notion that his infection--or Ada's--would make a difference to him.**

**"Good." Luis' angular features took on a satisfied cast as he shoved his hands into the back pocket of his jeans. Ada had been wrong about that, at least. "So, what happens once this is over?" he asked pointedly.**

**Leon folded his hands over his chest, his expression turning mulish, as he caught the other man's meaning. "Nothing," he stated flatly.**

**Luis lifted one dark brow at that. "So, the field's open, then?" Clear blue eyes flashed warningly, and he chuckled. "I didn't think so."**

**Leon scowled, chagrined that his jealousy had been that apparent. "She betrayed me," he said in a low, emotion-filled voice.**

**"How so?" Luis asked seriously.**

**"Sherry--" Leon began, only to be cut off.**

**"Is only alive because Ada insisted on it."**

**"What do you mean?" he asked angrily.**

**The Spaniard sighed again. "Think about it, cop," he said with exasperation. "Do you know how much easier it would have been if we'd just rigged Wesker's lab to blow? It's what Joe's been pushing for since I've known him. Instead, we're going in--and we're probably going to die--because Ada wants to save _your _kid." **

**Leon looked stunned, confusion and disbelief swirling in his eyes, and Luis cast a frustrated glance at Billy. "Is he always this slow?" **

**Cobalt eyes flickered from him to Leon and back again. "Only when it comes to women," came the flat, cynical response.**

**Bruce laughed as he agreed, "Too true, Coen. Too true."**

**Billy glanced at Ada, who was frowning as she looked their way, and said, "I hope Ada's hearing isn't as good as yours, or you're in a world of shit, Sera."**

**"Oops." Luis grinned and threw her a wink, not the least bit repentant. She shot him a warning glare before turning away, and he laughed again. "She'll thank me for this later, Billy. You'll see."**

**"Somehow, I doubt that," Billy drawled, with a shake of his head. He looked at Leon, who was watching the woman in question with hungry, angry eyes, and shrugged. "Maybe, you're right. I hope so."**

**"So do I, _amigo,"_ the Spaniard returned with atypical somberness. Then he smiled again, the carefree gesture more of what Billy had come to expect from him. "If not, we can always share her."**

**Billy snorted at that, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. "No thanks," he responded dryly, his voice taking on an edge despite his best attempts to control it. "Threesomes aren't my style."**

**Leon caught the comment and turned his full attention to the two men. "Threesomes?" he asked in a too-quiet voice. **

**Luis lifted one black eyebrow in response to that veiled anger. "It's a joke, _mi amigo,"_ he said quickly. "Nothing more."**

**Leon transferred his angry gaze to _him_, and Billy just shook his head. It didn't take a giant mental leap to guess just where the younger man's thoughts had gone. "Give me a break," he snapped irritably. "You know me better than _that."_**

**Of course, he did, Leon assured himself almost desperately. Billy loved Rebecca with everything in him. And even if he hadn't, he wasn't the type of man to sleep with his best friend's woman. "Maybe, it's time you told me just how you got involved in," he threw out one hand in an all-encompassing gesture, "this."**

**Billy gazed at him with moody midnighteyes. "Not now," he said at length. "Later, once this is done, I'll tell you how Ada saved my life. But for now, let it go."**

**Leon stiffened in dismay. That wasn't the denial he'd hoped to hear. "Billy--" **

**_"No." _The older man rose to his feet, and Leon was surprised at the bleak look that stole into his normally angry gaze. "This isn't something I want the whole world to hear, Leon. It's private, and I want it stay that way."**

**"Hey, that's cool," Bruce injected lightly. "It's your business, after all. Right, Leon?"**

**Leon hesitated, casting a quick glance around the room. He realized that S.T.A.R.S.--Rebecca in particular--were within earshot and nodded slowly. Unfortunately, he had every reason to distrust the woman who had held his heart. "Right," he said firmly. **

**He turned to Tom, who was watching them all with a carefully blank expression. "You haven't said much since reading this." He held up the blue file folder briefly. "What do _you_ think?" **

**Tom glanced around the room, his blue eyes veiled, and shrugged once. "I hope S.T.A.R.S. is as good you say they are," he responded cryptically.**

**Leon frowned at that. "What do you mean?"**

**The other man sighed with obvious frustration, then pinned Luis under an intense stare. "Are the others like you?" he asked bluntly.**

**"Tom!" Ark frowned, the fierce look out of place on his too-young features. "I can't believe you just asked him that!"**

**Tom ignored him and continued to gaze at the other man. The Spaniard looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. _"Si," _he answered quietly, adding, "David and _Senor _Death are the only ones among us who are not monsters."**

**"Luis!" Leon stared at him with shock. "You can't mean that?!"**

**Luis only shrugged, this thin lips curling into a smile that wasn't a smile at all. "Sure I can, cop."**

**Leon shook his tawny head quickly, appalled. "You're not a monster, Luis."**

**"I'm not human anymore, either," the Spaniard returned simply.**

**"Yeah, but--"**

**Billy snorted, the rude sound effectively ending his protest. "Give it a rest, Sera. You might be a bit of a chickenshit, but you're more human than most people I've known."**

**"Thanks, _amigo_," Luis said sarcastically, adding, "I think."**

**One corner of Billy's mouth curled up in a flat half-smile. "Didn't like that one, huh?"**

**"Gee, how'd you guess?" came the quick response.**

**"Maybe, those psychic powers of yours transferred themselves to me," he quipped drolly.**

**Luis laughed and slapped him on the back. "Good one, _amigo._ There may be hope for you, yet."**

**Cobalt eyes narrowed menacingly, even as laughter brightened their dark depths. "Bite me, Sera."**

**"Umm. . .no."**

**Leon stared at them for a long moment, surprised by the interaction, shocked to see any emotion at all in his friend's normally guarded gaze. He was disturbed by the camaraderie they seemed to share. For the past six months, Billy had continually ignored STRATCOM's attempts to reach out to him, preferring to keep them all at arm's length. Even me, he thought with a twinge of pain. That Billy had let Luis so close to him, when he closed everyone else out, was enough to piss him off all over again.**

**The man in question glanced up as though sensing his anger, and his eyes emptied of all trace of emotion. Gone, just like that, replaced by the hardness Leon had always hated. There was more going on here than he knew, and he didn't like being left in the dark. Knowledge _was_ power, after all.**

**Leon felt a presence at his back and stiffened, but didn't bother to turn around. Even if his heart hadn't just leapt out of his chest, the scent of expensive perfume was enough to tell him that it was Ada. She cast him a sidelong glance as she joined him, her beautiful Asian features carefully blank. He nodded once in acknowledgement, and she did the same. Neither spoke, but right now, that was probably a good thing. The last thing either of them needed was the fight that they were both itching for!**

**Ada turned to Luis and managed a tight smile. "Steve and David went upstairs to check on the helicopter," she informed him calmly.**

**Luis only sighed, the humor gone as he pulled his Red 9 out of the waistband on his jeans. "It's about that time, eh?"**

**"Yes." She watched him check the weapon and said, "It's not too late to--"**

**"Yes, it is." Luis met her gaze evenly. "It's been too late for two years, _nena."_**

**Ada only nodded, her gaze dropping from his, as guilt crept through her. Although she had needed a researcher to help her find a cure, that was only a small part of the reason she had brought him back. She had liked him, obnoxiously charming though he was. He was the only person she could call friend, and she had betrayed that friendship when she had used the T-Virus in a desperate attempt to keep him with her. He'd said that he understood, and she knew that he did, but he absolutely hated what he had become. That was something that _she_ understood all too well.**

**"The heliport is on the northeast corner of the roof," she said, half-turning towards STRATCOM. "We'll be taking an Apache. The others will take the S.T.A.R.S. helicopter. You have ten minutes. Luis, you'll show them the way?"**

**_"Si,"_ he said simply.**

**"Good." She turned to face them fully, a cool smile forming. "Stay behind Luis and I when we hit the complex. Wesker will have traps set up in all the main corridors, and I don't want any of you dying too soon."**

**Leon's entire body stiffened at that. "We're professionals, Ada!" he snapped angrily.**

**She turned those stunning sapphire eyes on him. "You're human, Leon," was all she said in return.**

**She started to walk away, and he'd had enough. He grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him, only absenting noting her startled expression, as he snarled, "That's the third time someone's implied that your infection makes a difference to me. It doesn't, and I want that understood!"**

**Ada blinked as he all but yelled that last sentence, surprised by the sudden outburst. She'd known he had temper; God knew, he'd turned it on her enough times. She simply hadn't expected him to fight over something so. . . unimportant. "My apologies," she said at last, casting a pointed glance at the restraining hand. "If you would be so kind. . .?"**

**Leon followed her gaze and blushed hard. He quickly removed his hand, his gaze dropping from hers, and she resisted the urge to rob the spot. He hadn't hurt her, he'd only surprised her. That the feel of his touch lingered was something he couldn't help. Love did strange things to you, after all.**

**"I'll see you upstairs," she said finally. "Be ready, Leon."**

**He watched her walk away, and the to follow was so strong that he found himself taking a step towards her before he could check the movement. "Fuck," he whispered under his breath, shaking his head to clear it. He ran a suddenly trembling hand through his blond hair and turned towards his men. "Is everyone ready?"**

**He watched his men trade glances and nod, disturbingly silent as they did so. Even Bruce, who _always_ had a joke handy, was quiet. Not a good sign, he thought apprehensively. As they turned to follow Luis out of the room, he could only pray that his stupid obsession with Ada Wong wouldn't prove to be fatal to for those he called his friends.**


End file.
